I Cry For The Last Time
by Ayingott
Summary: EmInArEvOI challenge for 'Looking Away'. Seigaku regulars betray Ryoma in the most painful way. After coming back to Japan five years later Ryoma has to be strong and see to the end of his long suffering. Royal pair. Yaoi. INFINITE HIATUS
1. Shattering of Souls

**Disclaimer: I wouldn't have this there if I owned something, now would I? -.-**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future.

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**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]**

**Side pairings: We'll see, we'll see… *evil grin*

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**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter one: Shattering of Souls

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The moment Ryoma's fingers released the red tennis racquet from the bone breaking clutch and it clattered on the ground, the silence shattered and the crowd roared in joy, happiness and excitement. They had won. Seigaku just took the golden trophy from Rikkai Dai's hands and won the Nationals.

The nicknamed 'Child of God' Yukimura Seiichi stood in front of the short boy wonder of Seigaku and watched as Ryoma's face displayed emotions, one after another; surprise, doubt, realization, joy. In the short period of time that he could catch a glimpse of the boy before his teammates surrounded him and hid from everyone's eyes, Seiichi saw the boy smile. Not the challenging smirk that enrages the opponent and rubs the defeat in his face. A real smile, so innocent it could have belonged to a five-year-old.

Ryoma himself can't describe in words what he feels now. He's lifted up from the ground and strong arms start to toss him up in the air, chanting his name and singing songs, congratulating him or just smiling a small smile that says more than any words could have.

It's like a dream to him.

But as we all know, all dreams come to an end and only a nightmare comes after them, to make a way to new, better dreams.

"Good job you brat! I knew you could do it!" a pat on his shoulder.

"Nya~~~ O'chibi!" a hug.

A small nod.

A smile.

A click of the camera.

A yell of encouragement. "Great-o! Burning! You did it, Echizennn!"

Ryoma sees his father, smiling to him before disappearing in the crowd that comes crashing down the stairs; all wanting to take a picture of the victors and congratulate them. Ryuzaki-sansei gives him the thumbs up and laughs.

After all that dies down and almost everyone, except the Seigaku regulars and a few random people here and there, a member of a team they had beaten on the way to this match stay Tezuka gives them all a 'good job minna' speech. It's a small one, but still so powerful and they all feel the happiness leaking from it.

As they all leave the courts and start to walk through the dark and cool corridor, leading out of the big building Momo suddenly starts to rummage around in his bag. Everyone stops to wait for him, but after more searching and dropping all his stuff on the floor he sighs in defeat and looks with pleading eyes at Ryoma: "Nee~~~ Echizen. Can you get my jersey from the locker room? Please? I'll buy you burgers."

"Fushuu… You stupid peach-butt! Forgetting something so important again!"

Momo's eyes turn from pleading to angry in mere seconds: "What did you say you stupid Mamushi?"

They grab each other by the collar and raise a fist in the air, ready to start a fight right there and right now. Oishi, as always, steps in to calm them down, with no results, as always,

"Haah… There they go again…" Taka-san only shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

Fuji chuckles a bit as he turns to look (as much it's possible with his eyes closed) to Ryoma. "Go get that jersey Echizen. We'll wait for you."

The small boy pulls his hat over the gold-colored eyes and mumbles a quiet 'Hai sempai' before turning around and walking in the direction of the locker rooms. There are a few pairs of eyes watching him leave, but Ryoma ignores it, interpreting it as a way to make sure he doesn't get lost while they still can see him.

But he's wrong about that.

Just when he turns at a corner the noises quiet down and everyone looks at Tezuka, eyes questioning about their next movements. The bespectacled teen looks as emotionless as usual before letting the somewhat cruel smile appear on his face, bangs are covering his eyes from the rest of the boys.

"What do we do now… Tezuka?" Oishi asks in a hushed voice, afraid that someone might hear.

Kikumaru looks somewhat sad, but he still speaks: "We should just get it over with. I mean, end it quicker before…" he doesn't finish.

Tezuka is still quiet, not answering the question or giving suggestions.

Fuji reveals his eyes lightly, the usually present smile gone from his face as he leans against the wall: "I don't know about you, but I'm tired of this stupid fake caring towards that little pain." He looks at the corner where Ryoma disappeared just moments ago, "We should just end it quick, like Eiji said and live on."

Momo and Kaidoh had stopped fighting and were now looking at the gray floor, too full of guilt to speak up. Inui is also quiet and for once his ever present notebook in nowhere to be seen. It's actually Kawamura that breaks the uncomfortable silence: "Let's just go and think about it later. Ok guys?"

"No need." Tezuka suddenly says and turns to walk away, "I made sure that he will know by now. Let's go."

They exchange nervous glanced but follow Tezuka anyways, not really wanting to object and feel that cold glare fixated on the one who had disobeyed. It wasn't like they hadn't known that this day would come, but somehow it felt a bit more painful than they had imagined before. At least some of them felt like this; those who were happy about getting rid of the bratty boy were openly smiling and talking as if nothing had ever happened.

Someone slipped out of the shadows that pillars created clashing with the ghostly white light coming from the lamps, hanging in thin metal threads, attached to the ceiling. A disgusted look in his eyes and fingers curled up in firsts at his side. Something like a growl escaped his lips before he turned around and disappeared in the shadows again.

* * *

Ryoma stands in the silent locked room paralyzed. His tennis bag long since fallen on the ground with a loud thud and was now lying forgotten on the wooden floor.

His hands were clutching a piece of paper, words in black ink written on it in a beautiful handwriting that could only belong to his buchou. What he would consider something like an honor in other occasions, in the past, is now a sharp dagger that stabs in his heart, opening a wound that will probably never heal. The small piece of paper is trembling and soon falls out of the numb hands and lands on the floor, next to Ryoma's feet and stays there, as if mocking the young boy.

But no matter how much it hurts Ryoma no tears come out. It's like he's forgotten how to cry in the small amount of time it took for him to read that about three hundred word note. He's numb; the feeling in his arms and legs is gone. But it's a different kind of numb than the one that Yukimura had used on him just about an hour ago in the tennis game. It's a numbness that paralyzes him and makes the pain intensify, making the invisible wound more painful and makes the cracks in the mirror of his soul appear.

He vaguely hears the door open but doesn't react to it. Even when he hears someone picking up his tennis bag from the floor and grabbing him by the hand to pull out of the room, into the ghostly corridor lights, Ryoma does nothing but juts blindly follow whoever is guiding him.

"Stupid brat, you are stronger that this damn it!" a voice he knows.

Finally Ryoma looks up and stares up at the sempai from another school that he knows well. He has helped him before, made him find himself again, made him realize his own stupidity and regain the will to fight and crawl out of the swamp of depression.

"Akutsu… why ar-"

The next thing he knows he's pushed into the wall, the bones on his back shooting stinging pain all over his body and Ryoma's lungs refuse to work for a moment because of the sudden collision. Once he can breathe again, after a wave of coughing, Ryoma tries to glare, but instead when he looks up at Akutsu his vision is blurry and from what he can make out the older teen looks like he's about to burst and yell at the abandoned boy.

"You are stronger that this Echizen. Fight." He tells Ryoma and starts to drag the boy again.

They don't speak anymore, but Ryoma feels not so alone anymore. Strangely Akutsu's presence reassures him that maybe, just maybe he's not as alone and abandoned as he thought. Even if the person that came to his aid is someone he didn't really communicate much and was more of a bully than a friend or at least someone he could have a chat with.

Ryoma has no idea how the older ones where he lives, but Akutsu drags him to his own house. They hear the faint sound of the temple bell ringing, probably a courtesy of Nanjirou and stand next to the fragile looking wooden gates, not saying a word just like during that way here.

"Brat, listen to me." Akutsu starts, "I'm on your side, even if it doesn't seem so."

"My side?" that's something new to Ryoma, but somehow he feels like he understand what the delinquent is talking about.

Akutsu glares at him: "Anyway, I'm on your side, so I'll try and… _help _you as much as I can. But…" He forces the word _help _out of his mouth.

"It's better if I leave Japan for a while, is it?" the shirt boy choke out, his vision blurring again.

He nods and lights a cigarette, leaning against the stone wall that separates Ryoma and his family. Ryoma stares at him for a while, inhaling the smoke that makes his throat itch and then opens the gate to walk inside. Before he has the chance to even take a step Akutsu says in a quiet voice behind him: "Be strong brat."

* * *

It doesn't take a long time for everyone in the tennis teams to find out that Echizen Ryoma has left the country and probably won't be back for a long time,_ if_ he decided to come back that is. It also doesn't take long for them to get to know that the only who has any kind of connection to the said Samurai Junior is, surprisingly, Akutsu Jin not the Seigaku regulars.

Rumors start and some get suspicions that something is not right with how things have turned out. There are speculations about Ryoma's sudden leave, but those are only wild guesses. It's a mystery that only Tezuka and the other share with Echizen and accidentally Akutsu too.

And even after five years the rumors haven't died down and everyone still wonders why did Ryoma leave and why hasn't he come back. Even after five years when Ryoma finally returns to Japan the pain is still there and as fresh as it was before.

But maybe, just maybe, there is someone that can sew it together and numb out the pain?

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**A/N: I know, I know… I have too many ongoing fics already, but, but… I couldn't resist, I really couldn't. My fingers were itching to start writing this and I just couldn't hold out any longer.**

***sigh* I hope it's not too horrible of a start and the Akutsu part isn't too… I don't know.. Stupid? Well… Anyway, I'm glad that I finally wrote this. :3**

**P.S. Just a reminder, my poll is up till the end of September, vote now and decide the fate of my fics! *insert dramatic music***


	2. So You Are Here?

**Disclaimer: I wouldn't have this there if I owned something, now would I? -.-**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future.

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**

**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]**

**Side pairings: We'll see, we'll see… *evil grin*

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**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter two: So You Are Here?  


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Everyone knew that the Super Rookie of Seigaku had disappeared suddenly, without a word or explanation. It was a mystery to all of them, especially to those who were fond of the boy.

Questions were asked and rumors spread, but neither the Seigaku regulars nor Ryuzaki-sensei gave any answers or did as much as confirm or deny the rumors. And those who went to Ryoma's house for answers just met a dead end.

Ryoma had left Japan. The old monk didn't know why the Echizen family decided to move so suddenly or for how long would they be gone, but he did mention that the young Echizen looked rather sad and broken.

As if something horrible had happened to him.

And that led the tennis players back to Seigaku regulars. This time the asking wasn't so nice and they didn't try to sound sorry for the team. Something had happened right after the Nationals, if not even at the same day.

"Tezuka," Yukimura asked, "Do you have _any _idea as to why Echizen-kun would leave so suddenly? He didn't even stay here to celebrate your victory." There was concern in his voice.

Sanada and Atobe were standing behind the Child of God, not saying anything to each other, but throwing warning glances to their teams, keeping them quiet and still.

The captain of Seigaku didn't seem too bothered by any of this. He sighed and pushed up his glasses a bit: "Like I said the last time Yukimura, we don't know anything. He just disappeared right after your game and we haven't heard _or _seen him from that moment." The coldness and indifference in his voice clear. It was like he had repeated this for so long that it was now a line mesmerized so good, he could even say it in the middle of the night.

"We believe that something might have happened to his family back in the States, but I think that's not the real reason…" Fuji's voice was calm and his usual smile was in place. A bit sharper around the edges though.

Pairs of eyes landed on him. Shishido was the one who asked the one question that was on everyone's mind: "Oh really… That what might me the _real _reason?"

"And if you are going to say something like 'Oh, I think he just got bored that's all' then you can be sure that I refuse to believe that crap." Gakuto added, his voice changing, sounding a bit like Fuji's, but clearly mocking him.

Rikkai Dai regulars didn't say anything, yet, only waited for Fuji to speak and give them more information. Neither the Rikkai Dai regulars, nor Hyotei regulars nor the two from Seigaku noticed the teen hidden in shadows, listening to them and writing a message on his phone at the same time, a scowl on his face.

"Don't worry Gakuto, I won't say anything like that." The mocking had no effect on the sadist of Seigaku, "I planned to say that Echizen ran away… abandoned us, would be better, because he no longer had any use of us. That little brat stole our moves, beat everyone who he considered strong and.. Well… Left." Not even once the tensai stopped smiling during the whole announcement.

Disbelief was painted on the faces of the young boys from the two different schools. No one in their right mind would believe that. Sure, Echizen was a little bratty and cocky and childish about the simplest things, but not a person who uses other people and then runs away, abandons them.

"Are you sure that's the real reason, Fuji-kun?" Yagyuu asked just to make sure.

Fuji, obviously not too worried about the lack of belief, just shrugged: "Like I said, that's what I think. Whether it's true or not is a different matter all itself."

"But that's the most believable one from all the other options we have gone trough." Tezuka added, already turning to go back to his tennis practice, Ryuzaki-sensei was already throwing daggers with her eyes at the two strongest Seigaku players. "Now excuse me Atobe, Yukimura, Sanada, but we must go. Sensei is calling."

Fuji waved them and followed his captain back to the courts and the students practicing there. Atobe's skeptical eyes followed Tezuka's back. Truthfully, he didn't believe a word that came out of Tezuka's or Fuji's mouths. Echizen was far stronger than that and had more pride in himself and his strength, Atobe was sure about that and nothing will be able to change his mind.

Yukimura seemed deep in thoughts and Sanada was just as skeptical as Atobe about the whole thing. Some of the other regulars had the look of disbelief, some were pondering over the possibility of Echizen being someone who will use other for his own good and then abandon them and some just didn't really care.

"Do you think that what he said was true? Ne, Niou-sempai?" Kirihara whispered.

Niou didn't answer immediately. He threw a glance at his doubles partner and boyfriend, Yagyuu as if asking for help or advice. The bespectacled just shook his head.

"I don't think we will find out from them Bakaya. We would have to talk to Echizen but…" Marui popped a bubble-gum bubble, hands in his pockets and eyes looking up at the clear, blue sky.

Oshitari continued the unfinished sentence: "Seeing as he isn't here that would be a little impossible. Though I wonder why Tezuka and Fuji would say that."

"Poor Echizen-kun. Whatever happened must me pretty bad for him to leave like that…" Ootori said, his hands clutching each other in front of his chest.

"It really is hard to tell what happened. Especially, if we don't know the circumstances." Sanada finally said something before nodding with his head to the rest of Rikkai Dai regulars to follow him. "We should be going now."

After The Rikkai Dai regulars said their goodbyes to the Hyotei regulars silence fell between the eight teens. No one wanted to actually start a new discussion about Echizen and Seigaku.

"Ore-sama doesn't like this." Atobe mumbled, "Let's go, Kabaji."

"Usu."

The rest of the regulars looked at each other and after a short while ran after their captain. Just when they were out of sight the teen, hidden by the shadows also moved, walking away from the Seigaku middle school territory not wanting to spend another minute near Tezuka or his team.

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Akutsu walked down the street, glaring at whoever goes in his way, not caring that he probably showed and stepped on people's feet all the time.

The phone in his pocket vibrated and something like a scream came from it, apparently a ringtone Akutsu had chosen for it. Without even as much as looking at the caller ID Akutsu flipped the black phone open and placed it next to his ear.

"I thought you should be sleeping right now." Though, his voice didn't have any ill intentions or anger in it.

"_Well… Yeah, I should. But that message kind of woke me up._" And true to his words the talker's voice was quiet and Akutsu could hear him yawn.

"The hell… And here I thought you were a heavy sleeper."

"_Yeah… Yeah… Go ahead and laugh at me._" It sounded to Akutsu like the one on the other end of the line was pouting. "_But the thing that you wrote… Is it true? I mean, sempai just said it like that?_"

Akutsu sighed and held the phone with his head and shoulder, his hands rummaging through the pockets of his jacked, trying to find his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Not exactly like that but the idea was clear. 'We were used, it was Echizen's fault' something along those lines, you know. Though it didn't look like all of them believed what that close-eyed freak said anyway."

There was a sigh: "_Well, it's not like everyone will believe him anyway. But that also doesn't mean that there won't be those that trust them._" There was a pause, a moment of thought, "_Well… Since I ran away I bet that I will be treated as a betrayer and user anyway…._" Another pause, this time the boys voice was quieter than before,_ "But… Now I really don't want to go back._" The voice became quieter and slurred with sleep as the boy continues to talk.

"Then stay there you fucking idiot! Didn't I tell you? Staying there for good would be my choice but it's not for me to decide either way." Akutsu grumbled into the speaker and pushed the lighted cigarette in his mouth. "Besides, it's not like you have a reason to come back."

There was silence on the other end and Akutsu had a suspicion that the boy he was talking to had already fallen asleep. He was about to yell into the phone when the younger boys steady breathing reached his ears.

With a sigh Akutsu closed his phone and slid it back into his pocket. "Some shitty situation this has become."

* * *

The chatter and laughs of the people around him were driving the young male mad and at the moment his biggest wish was to kill everyone around him. His bangs covered the bright light-brown eyes but not the murderous black aura around him.

"Akutsu? That you?" someone called out for him.

Akutsu turned his had slightly so he was looking at the speaker. A smirk crawled on his face and he straightened his back. Walking closer to the short figure Akutsu ruffled the dark black, with a tint of green, hair and laughed out loud.

"You're still as short as you were the last time I saw you, brat."

Ryoma slapped Akutsu's hand away and it looked like he was pouting. "Shut up you idiot. It's not like I can help it now can I?"

"Che."

They both started to walk out of the airport; Ryoma had his bag slung over his shoulder and another one in his right hand. His green-tinted hair had grown out and now reached his shoulders and a bit past them. A strand of hair was pushed behind his ear, so three ear piercing were reveled to the world, two small ones and one cross-shaped hanging in a thing chain.

He also had two piercings in his lip and since he wore a short sleeved, black t-shirt with the heart shaped symbol for the rock band 'HIM' on it, people could see a part of the dark green dragon tattoo on his left hand. The skinny black jeans showed off his thin legs and desirable ass, as Akutsu had said the last time he visited Ryoma in New York.

"Damn, it's still hot here. New York was cooler." Ryoma sighed as he stepped out in the hot august sun.

Akutsu snorted: "Well what the hell were you expecting you shitty brat? A snowstorm?" he started to walk in the direction of his car, expecting Ryoma to follow.

"No, I didn't." Ryoma dropped his bags on the ground, next to the car, "Did you forger to do your hair or is that a new style you're trying out? It looks good by the way."

Akutsu didn't say anything, only threw the two not so heavy bags in the trunk and got in the car himself. The drive to Akutsu's place was rather quiet and calm, if you don't count the constant swearing from Akutsu whenever someone was a total idiot and got in his way and Ryoma's bratty comments about it.

Once the car stopped in front of an old looking building, with paint coming off from the walls at some places and cracks in the stone, Ryoma and Akutsu got out. Unlike the airport it was nice and cool here since the place was covered in shadows, thanks to the trees growing around the yard and playground for the little kids.

"Nice place you live at Akutsu. Never thought that you were a person who is ok with living in an apartment complex." Ryoma snickered and got his bags from the trunk.

Akutsu glared at the younger and got out a cigarette: "Shut it."

Once again Ryoma followed Akutsu since he knew where to go. It really was a crappy situation he got himself into. First his parents decided to go on a second (or so they say) honeymoon and then he was told to go and stay with Akutsu for the time being. It was like his mom and old man didn't know about what happened here five years ago. Ryoma had a suspicion that they planned everything out.

He sighed, now he will have to deal with everything. Meeting his sempais and rivals again, defending himself in front of them and most of all; trying to stay strong and pretend that he doesn't care. Ryoma knew that he wasn't ready…

"This sucks."

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**A/N: It is here! :3 Ryoma returned to Japan and Akutsu is his best buddy right now! Yay's? **

…

**Ryoma with piercings and tattoos is an old desire of mine. Just seeing him like that in my head makes me do the fangril scream and, and, and…..**

**Ok, I'll shut up now.**

**Anyway, as you know (or don't) 'Gifted' will be finished soon, so… I have a poll (again) on my profile where you can choose what should I start to write next. Everything about the fics can be found on my profile page, so go and check it out please.**

**Well, that's all I wanted to say.. er.. write. **

**Be nice and leave a review, I will appreciate it very much! :3**


	3. Unwanted Emotions

**Disclaimer: IS NOT MINE!**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future.

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**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]**

**Side pairings: We'll see, we'll see… *evil grin*

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**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter three: Unwanted Emotions

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Someone's ragged breathing, mixed together with softer and louder moans vibrated through the hot air in the bedroom. Not so gentle touches were shared between the two bodies, giving each other nothing more than the pleasure. There was no love, no like; just simple, animalistic pleasure that they both were seeking.

"Tezuka, move faster… Ahhh.. Harder!" hands warped around Tezuka's neck, sweat drops sliding down from them and onto Tezuka's own hot and equally wet skin.

Tezuka grunted, but obligated to the demands, coming from the man under him. The other, just clawed Tezuka's back and wrapped his legs around him, the gasps of the pleasure increasing in number, if that was possible. Flesh hitting flesh, skin rubbing against skin. It all ended just like it had started, without a word, just a look in each other eyes and a mischievous smile from one.

Tezuka came out of the shower, water dripping from the ends of his hair and a towel around his neck, the black pants hung loosely on his hips, Tezuka didn't bother with closing the front. His glasses were absent on his face and some loose strands of hair were in front of his eyes, not really concealing them. He looked in the direction of his bed, hoping to find it empty not occupied by the other.

A sigh escaped his mouth. "Fuji, you should be going you know. I can't have you staying here for the night, I already made that clear."

"I know, I know." Fuji laughed, rolling to sleep on his stomach, those mischievous blue eyes looking at Tezuka, "Sanada's coming here later, isn't he? And then there is also Tachibana."

"It's good that you know, so please free my bed. I have to change the sheets." His voice didn't have any negative tones, just a bit annoyance sipped through.

Fuji got out of the tangle of sheets and blankets, one of the white sheets wrapped loosely around his waist, barely concealing the naked body parts it was supposed to. "Ne, Tezuka. I was thinking…" a pale, thin finger ran up and down the firm chest, those eyes still twinkling in mischief, "What if Echizen decided to come back suddenly? It's just a 'what if', so what would you do?" The smirking devil in angels disguise knew something.

Tezuka's facial expression didn't change, but the look he gave Fuji was quite scary. "Haven't I told you so many times already? I would act like I acted when they asked us those stupid questions. Play the one that was used in the end, not the other way around." He walked away from the smirking Fuji to get his glasses, "Besides, most of them believe what we told them and the others…" he smirked that smirk of his, which made all tremble, "…The others probably won't be taken seriously anyway, so who cares."

"But Tezuka, did you forget that Atobe is one of the few that don't really buy our, khm, _truth_? He's not just _anyone_." Fuji looked around, trying to find his clothes.

The older of the two waved his hand unconcernedly in the air: "He just doesn't believe, not goes around yelling that we are liars and whatever. That man will not say anything as long he's left out of it. _That_ much I know about him."

"Well… If you say so Tezuka."

Tezuka looked at Fuji's still naked back and frowned a bit. "Why do you ask? It usually is enough for you with one time." He drummed his fingers on the wooden surface of the table, eyes narrowing just a little bit. "You know something, don't you Fuji?"

Fuji turned to face him, a fake, innocent smile on his face and eyes closed, some of his clothes in hand, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Fuji." Tezuka was not up to any mind games. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

Fuji sighed, the smile not leaving its place on his face. "My boyfriend saw Akutsu at the airport yesterday, Kojirou had some relatives flying in from America, so he happened to be there. Anyway," he finally decided to put on his boxers, "Akutsu met someone very alike to Echizen and left with that someone." Fuji looked at Tezuka, hands halfway in the white t-shirt, "But Kojirou said that that kid looked really wild. Tattoos and piercings and all that stuff."

Tezuka didn't comment on that, but the nagging feeling that something will soon happen didn't leave him. It just grew and poked him, as if saying that he will have to take responsibility for what he had done and said.

Fuji's arms wrapped around his neck, the now dressed stomach pressed to his back. "Say Tezuka, why don't we forget about that small possibility and do it one more time?" a tongue licked Tezuka's neck, daring him to decline the offer.

"Fuji," Tezuka got out of the embrace, "You have a boyfriend, so go and make _him _entertain you for God's sake."

"But Tezuka…"

All that Tezuka had to do was glare at the other for him to understand that all his begging will bring no fruit. Fuji just sighed and went back to getting dressed, throwing Tezuka amusing glances from time to time.

* * *

"Eiji-sempai, wait for me! Eiji-sempai!"

Eiji turned around and stuck his tongue out; making his boyfriend shake his head and wonder why is Eiji always so childish. "It's your fault that you are so slow Momo!"

"That's… not… true…" Momo wheezed out when he had finally caught up with the energetic red-head, Oishi and Inui. "You just… Ugh… Didn't want to wait for me, like always."

Eiji laughed and patted Momo's back in a friendly manner. "Hahaha, nya. That's not true Momo-chan and you know it!"

A sigh came out of the younger's mouth and he muttered something under his breath, Eiji grinning down at him and Oishi chuckling. They started to walk again, the tennis bag's slung over their shoulders and tennis shoes scraping against the asphalt as they walked. They talked about everyday things, competitions from other schools and what kind of tennis matches and with whom they had had.

Inui still had his spiky hairstyle, but the rectangular glasses were no longer covering is eyes. At some point in the years he had chosen to use contacts instead, saying that it was safer for his eyes. He still wore the glasses from time to time, but only when it was needed. He hadn't grown that much taller, since his growth spur had come quite early for him.

Eiji, though, hadn't grown at all. He was still the same height as when he was in middle-school, which he wasn't too happy about. But his hair was now longer than before and could be taken behind his head in a ponytail, though; the few strands still flicked on different sides and couldn't be straightened. At one of the few times when he had gone to a party someone had talked him into doing some pretty wilds stuff, so now he had black strands of hair and for about two days he had a piecing in his bellybutton.

As for Oishi, he had grown taller, but not much and his appearance, except the almost shaven off hair and the addition of glasses, had stayed the same. His style had done various changes, but in the end Eiji made him go back to his old one.

And the last one of the group – Momo. If one would look at the power payer he wouldn't see that much difference from when he was in middle-school and now. And truthfully, there was none. Momo was one of the few that had stayed the same, not really wanting to change their looks and what-not.

"So, sempai, where are we going today? The street tennis courts or the new club that just opened?" Momo asked, looking around the busy street, trying to find something… Or someone.

Oishi hmmm'd to himself and turned to Inui for advice. "What do you think Inui? We don't really have that much money on us to go to "Fresh", so maybe the street courts would be the wisest choice." His pocket started to vibrate and he got the light green phone from it, opening it and putting it close to his ear.

"That and then there is a 75,9% chance that we will meet someone that we know on the courts." Inui said and already started to walk in the direction of the park, knowing that others will soon follow him.

Eiji had joined Momo and was also looking around the street, carefully eyeing each crowd of people and the store windows, murmuring something to himself. "Ne, ne… Momo-chan."

"What is it Eiji-sempai?" Momoshiro sighed and gave up, eyes landing on his sempai.

"Did Kaidoh _really _agreed to come today?" he furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the watch on his wrist, "Because he _should _be here already."

Right at that moment Oishi finished his talk and called out to both, Eiji and Momo. "Eiji, Momo! I just got a call from Kaidoh, he's not coming." Before any of the two could ask for the reasons Oishi continued, "Something happened to him mom, so he went with her to the hospital." He started to follow Inui shouting over his shoulder, "Come on you two."

Eiji pouted, but still started to run after his boyfriend, Momo right behind him. "Mou! Wait for me, Shuichi!"

"Eiji-sempai, don't run so fast, I can't keep up!" the power player managed to get out, but had to stop right after because of his tennis bag, which was slipping off of his shoulder, making it hard to run.

Eiji turned back to face the youngest of them and laughed, "Then you should train more Momo-chan." After he said that the energetic red-head ran next to Oishi, who was patiently waiting for him, and they both started to follow Inui again, leaving Momo behind.

"Sempai!"

* * *

For the second time that day Momo wheezed after finally catching up to his sempais again and slumping on the ground, having no strength left in his body to keep moving. This was the result of abandoning his daily training for such a long time, he knew that well, but still couldn't really help it.

"You lack stamina Momoshiro. Should I make you a training menu?" Inui asked, not really concerned about his kouhai's well-being.

Something between a laugh and a grunt came from Momo. Eiji snickered from behind Oishi. The exhausted boy tried to get up and find something to throw at his sempai, but the best he could do is sit up and stay like that. Eiji didn't even try to hide behind Oishi now.

Oishi sighed. "Eiji, stop laughing about Momo. If you do continue at least try to hide it, like Echizen used to-" he quickly stopped talking and clamped a hand in front of his mouth.

His three companions also suddenly stopped whatever they were doing and glanced around, seeing if someone had heard them. Momo slowly got up from the ground and dusted his bottom, all the while nervously glancing around.

After an uncomfortable moment of silence Inui spoke, his voice hushed so that no one else than those three besides him wouldn't hear. "Today, at about ten in the morning, Fuji came to visit me. We talked about the usual stuff, you know what, and then he almost accidentally mentioned that Saeki, his boyfriend, kind of saw someone that looked very similar to Echizen. Older, yes, but similar nonetheless."

"A-are you sure he said that, Inui?" Oishi had lost some of the color in his face, making him look a bit pale, his hands were shaking slightly and clutching each other.

Eiji and Momo looked down at the ground, eyes wide and one of them was biting his bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood. Eiji, who had blood dripping down his chin now, whispered in a shaky voice: "I'm too scared to meet him. After what we did… I'm scared." His hands went up to cover his ears, cutting him from the world of sound.

"I-" Momo started, "I regret it, but at the same time I don't. It's like, I had wanted to say it in his face, instead of doing it like that…" he looked up at his sempai. "I kind of wanted to see his face you know."

Eiji spoke again, this time louder, but not as loud as to get the attention from the passer-bys. "That's cruel Momoshiro. You were his best friend and yet… I-I, I mean you just…" he couldn't finish, the trail of blood still on his chin.

"Eiji…"

"It's not our place to decide for others Kikumaru." Inui said and handed him a tissue to clean himself up, "Some of us think that that was for the best, some don't. Let's just leave it at that and hope that the person that Saeki saw was just some stranger." He sighed at the end looked around one more time, just in case.

Momo got his tennis bag from where it was lying all this time and mumbled to himself, his voice carried something unrecognizable. "It's not like I wanted to be his best friend. Buchou made me do it."

"Guys," Oishi pleaded, "Let's just stop talking about this ok? Please, none of us wants to remember what happened."

There was a silent agreement, but the nervousness and guilt didn't disappear from the air.

"I hear the sound of tennis." Eiji murmured, not caring if they heard him or not. "From that way." He pointed in the direction of the street courts, not too far from where they were standing.

"Should we check it out? There might be someone we know playing." Inui said, his hand reaching up to push his glasses up in reflex, but stopping when he remembered that he no longer wore them.

Oishi gave a sideways glace to Momo and agreed that it would be nice to see someone that they know and it could also help them forget what they had just talked about. Play some tennis and forget that accident and then do something else, get your mind off the guilt and try to ignore you conscience, that's what they have done until now and obviously plan to continue doing.

"Whoa, that hot guy just hit a Twist Serve, didn't he? That was a Twist Serve wasn't it? What do you think, Nura?" a boy, about twelve or thirteen poked his friend. Both were standing on the sidelines and watching a tennis match.

The one called Nura swatted away his friend's hand. "Shut up Ikezava! You'll miss something if you continue to be so annoying."

The four students had come after hearing the two boys bicker and now were standing completely frozen, unable to take their eyes off of the match going on in front of them. Or to be more precise, the two that were playing that match. One they recognized as Akutsu immediately, the other took some time but when the realization hit them… Momo slumped back on the ground, eyes wide and hand clutching the bag in his hand.

"That's Echizen, isn't it?" Oishi asked, not really waiting for an answer.

* * *

**A/N: Hehehe, I don't know why but I love making Tezuka the evil one. It kind of suits hi maybe? And some of the regulars meet, sort of, Ryoma and Akutsu... Well, to know what happens next you will just have to wait for the next chapter, now won't you? **


	4. Don't Look At Me

**Disclaimer: IS NOT MINE!**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future.

* * *

**

**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]**

**Side pairings: Saeki/Fuji, Oishi/Eiji (So, unpredictable), Sengoku/Ann. For now, that's it.

* * *

**

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter four: Don't Look At Me

* * *

**

The rubber soul of his black Converse glided along the court as Ryoma ran from one side to the other, hitting back the bright yellow ball. The racquet was slipping from his sweaty hand, but he just gripped it tighter. The excitement that pumped through his body… He had missed it so much.

On the other side, Akutsu was panting from exhaustion, but the determination to beat the younger, who was his opponent, was there. He could feel Ryoma's tennis coming back from the dead, a spark of the former emotions in it, but still… The moves, the way Ryoma played, it was as if he was a robot. When the brat was twelve he played fun tennis, like he had said so himself, but now…

Now it was nothing more than dead tennis.

Akutsu saw his friends eyes shift to look at the sidelines, his own following. There they were; the three from the bunch of backstabbers that called themselves Ryoma's friends. In reaction to seeing them Ryoma hit something that resembled the used-to-be drive C, scoring a point from Akutsu and stopped.

The older of the two jumped over the net, went to stand next to his friend and placed his hand or Ryoma's shoulder, supporting his weight on the smaller. "So they came."

The younger rolled his eyes, a fake action to hide his true emotions, and pulled the hair band holding his hair together, letting the black locks cover the earrings, small hoops today, and the small tattoo just behind his ear - the kanji for fly. His knee-length red pants stuck to his sweaty legs, just like the black tank-top. The dragon tattoo was out for everyone t o see.

"So I've noticed." He retorted and headed back to the bench where their stuff was placed.

Akutsu directed a glare at the three, warning them silently, and followed the seventeen-year-old, trying to cool himself by taking off the light blue shirt he was wearing until now, his shorts rode low on his hips, a black line of his boxers showing. "Do you think they'll do something?"

Ryoma looked at them one more time. "Nah, don't think so. Too surprised." He watched as Akutsu dumped the contents of a water bottle on himself. "Where did you get that scar?" he nodded to the long, wide line on the older's back.

"Long story." Was the answer.

There was a shuffling of feet, someone moved closer and closer to them. Even if both Akutsu and Ryoma knew who were coming, they didn't acknowledge them. They weren't worth it. But then, a small hand grabbed the back of Ryoma's shirt and pulled. Once the teen turned around, he had to look down to see the young kid, one of the watchers that they had.

The kid looked up at him, "Ne, nii-chan, where did you learn to do that?"

"Ikezava, don't bother them!" the other, the same age perhaps, nudged Ikezava, "Let's go already. I'm sorry for disturbing you." He nodded his head slightly and the both boys ran from where they came, fighting between themselves.

Akutsu shook his head, making the water droplets fall everywhere around him, "Looks like they're not coming after all. Well, it's not like I didn't know that they are nothing but a bunch of fucking cowards anyway."

"Hmm…" there was a pause as Ryoma watched, from the corner of his eye, how those three slowly got themselves together and disappeared between the trees and bushes. "So, Jin." He started, scratching his left hand, right below the shoulder, "I still haven't heard why you wanted to play tennis so suddenly. A challenge or something?"

"No. Now move your ass or I'll leave you behind." Akutsu grumbled and started to walk off. Ryoma rolled his eyes again, but followed anyway, still teasing about the tennis match.

"Yeah, it's him, there's no mistaking it." A pause and a sigh, "Akutsu called him 'Ryoma' and besides, the three reacted like that, so it must be him. … Yeah, yeah, I know. Ok, yeah… I'll see you later then." The phone clicked shut and the teen or maybe young adult would be better, sighed again. He directed his gaze at the retreating backs of Ryoma and Akutsu. "So you're back, huh, Echizen."

* * *

The clicking of the phone echoed in the room. The soft buzz of the computer was the only sound other than that, but the creaking of the chair, as the young male got up overpowered it for a moment.

The man walked to one of the big windows, who was opened and let the warm fall breeze flow in the room, the white curtain flowing together with it. He stopped and supported his weight on the windowsill, the cell phone still clutched between his fingers. The wind played with locks of his hair, those eyes hidden to the world as he allowed himself to relax for just this one moment. "So you're back…"

Deep blue met the light blue of the sky, "Should I visit Tezuka?" After a moment of thought, he laughed, "Maybe I should, but…" a sigh, "Who knows."

* * *

"So you saw him, huh?" Tezuka asked while sipping his black tea. Reluctant nods were his answer.

Oishi had come to Tezuka's house, together with Inui, leaving Eiji at the apartment they shared and Momo simply didn't want to come. Why? It was hard to tell, even Inui stayed quiet about it. Or maybe he just didn't know.

Oishi wrung his hands together and looked at Inui before asking: "Tezuka. What are we going to do now?"

Tezuka swirled the tea in his cup, not really looking like he was listening to them, and maybe he wasn't. His head supported by his right hand, whose elbow was placed on the arm of the chair he was sitting on. "I think," he started, not averting his eyes from the black liquid in the cup, "We should just let it be. So what if people know? Us going around and announcing it will be too..." he allowed the sentence hang in the air.

Inui got up, his fingers going up to push the glasses, that were no longer on his nose, up, but stopped midway. "That may be true Tezuka." He looked down on Oishi, "But I'm sure someone already told you, not all of them believe what we have told them." He crossed his arms in front of himself, "Like Akutsu Jin."

Tezuka looked mildly humored, "That delinquent? What can he do, beat someone to death?"

"He has a good relationship with Echizen Tezuka. We saw them together today, at the street courts." Oishi added, standing up from where he was sitting. "And you can't underestimate him. Besides, when Ryuuzaki-sensei-"

"No one listens to her anymore. Not even that annoying granddaughter of hers." The cold, emotionless tone Tezuka used silenced Oishi, who slumped on the floor.

The data man looked like he wanted to say something, but never did. Tezuka just had to look at him, those brown eyes cold and dangerous, to silence him too. So Inui just pulled Oishi up from the floor and without bidding goodbye, left.

There was no use in talking to Tezuka now.

After the door clicked shut the nineteen-year-old tch'd and threw the cup against the wall, pieces and fragments of the porcelain flying in all directions and the liquid spilling on the wall and floor, some even on the window just above the place where it had hit the wall. He watched in total boredom as the pools of liquid started to form.

"You shouldn't do that Kuni. It just damages your room." A voice said to the bespectacled teen, the door creaking open again.

Tezuka didn't look away from the remains of his cup and tea, seemingly too absorbed in it, or just too deep in thought. "Like I care." He turned his head slightly, still not looking at the newcomer, "So why are you here? You know I have others and don't need you, right?"

"I know, I know." The newcomer whispered, voice slightly trembling, "I know, but… I can't stop, no that is, I can't let go of you." He walked to Tezuka and fell on his knees in front of him. "I still love you."

Tezuka didn't do anything to touch him, or even calm down. Just looked down on the teen boy who was once his lover, _One night stand, to be exact. _He added in his head, with the cold eyes showing something like warped humor in them. "I have others, you know. I don't need you."

"I know, I just told you, but.. But I don't care. Just.." a hiccup and a quiet sob, "Just let me be with you. Please."

The trembling body by his feet almost disgusted him, but Tezuka knew that this one, who was now wrapped around his finger and obeyed Tezuka like a good, little trained dog he was, still had some use. So he will stay, for now.

_For now. _The cruel smirk once again crawled on Tezuka's face, as he leaned down and brought his lips to the others.

* * *

Ryoma wandered around the neighborhood, looking around at everything that had changed so much during the time he was gone. If to others those were little, meaningless things, then to Ryoma they were a bit bigger and easier to recognize.

The tennis bag, slung over his shoulder, swayed as he walked, the iPod blasting in his ears some song from 'The Gazette'. The people that passed him looked back at him strangely, some even with fear, as they noticed the tattoo that adorned his left arm. Ryoma just smirked; so what if they think of him as some criminal or yakuza, he won't be staying here for long anyway.

_But,_ he sighed, _such a pain in the ass that Jin had to go to his moms work. Could have at least taken me with him, now I have nothing to do. _His hand reached in the pocket of his pants. _All out of cigarettes, damn. It's not like they'll sell me any._

He walked past a crowd of people, a year or two older than himself. He didn't hear them, nor actually notice. But those people, not everyone but some, saw and recognized _him_, letting the cans of beer clatter on the pavement.

"Now way…"

"It's him, isn't it? I'm not wrong?"

"Did you see the ear piercings?"

"He's hot, puri."

"Niou!"

"Sorry Sanada, puri."

"Do you think Tezuka knows?"

"How the hell should I know? I'm not his secretary."

Sengoku ran out on the street and looked at Ryoma's retreating back, a thoughtful expression in the place of his usual laid-back one. "You know what?" he said after a while. "He really is hot, just like Niou said. His backside looks even hotter than some girl's." he grinned a perverted kind of grin, "Trust me, I should know."

"Remind me again Sengoku, how the hell did Tachibana-san allow you to date Ann-chan?" Kamio picked up the fallen can and threw into the nearest trash can. But even he watched the retreating back of the 'Traitor', as they dubbed him.

Sengoku looked at Kamio. "It's not like he's a goody-two-shoes himself, 'ya know. But the only difference is - he doesn't go around telling everyone about that." Though, he chose to stay quiet about the used-to-be captain of Fudomine seeing the used-to-be captain of Seigaku, Tezuka. He had seen them together, more than once, but Tezuka… That guy just had to look at him…

"But still," Akaya peaked over Sanada's shoulder, "Why is _he_ back? It's not like he has a place here. Ne, Sanada-sempai?" though, Akaya didn't fully believe the story given to them by Tezuka and Fuji. Only the fear from being abandoned by his friends, team mates in case of saying otherwise kept him in place, silently watching from the side.

Niou smacked him over the head, "Like Sanada can know that, Bakaya!" he huffed, "we should ask someone from the ex-regulars of Seigaku, puri, maybe they know something, puri."

"That's not a good idea Niuo-kun." Sengoku said, gone was his happy-go-lucky tone and attitude, a much darker, depressing one had taken its place.

Kamio, who wasn't really listening to the conversation in the first place, narrowed his eyes a little, but still asked, curiosity getting the better of him: "And why's that? We might hurt his feeling or something?"

Sengoku shook his head, "No, not that." He once again looked in the direction that Ryoma had walked to, "Tezuka, ah no, more like all from Seigaku… They get a bit… _strange _when asked about that kid. And not in a good way."

"Then," Kamio was now looking confused, just like Akaya, "Why did Echizen come back? I bet he knows he's not welcomed here, so… Why?"

"That's what we all would like to know." Niou said that this time, hands in pockets and eyes frozen on some spot, in the same direction as Sengoku's.


	5. Oh Really?

**Disclaimer: IS NOT MINE!**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and maybe fighting scenes or places were one is beaten up or there are people hurting themselves.

* * *

**

**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]**

**Side pairings: Saeki/Fuji, Oishi/Eiji (So, unpredictable), Sengoku/Ann, Akutsu/?. For now, that's it.

* * *

**

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter five: Oh Really?

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**

The black sports car drove in the street that went along the house that Tezuka lived in, together with his parents that were currently outside the country due to his father's work. At least, that was what the teen in question said to the others.

The BMW didn't drive fast, it slowly moved forward, the driver casting a bored look at the houses and people passing by, the old ladies and kids that were walking with their mothers or dogs. Once his blue eyes landed on the house that was owned by the Tezuka family, he wanted to speed up a little, but then he changed his mind. It seemed that someone was in too much of a hurry to leave after a _very interesting _night spent at the Seigaku's ex-captain's.

Once the teen boy was out of sight, he stopped the car right in front of Tezuka's house. He made the engine cease the quiet purrs and got out of the car, locking it with the small remote in his right hand. While walking the few steps until the main door and pushing the doorbell once, his mind wandered to the countless possibilities of why had the so-called traitor suddenly shown up again.

The door opens, revealing a sleepy looking Tezuka, without his glasses and the brown locks all messed up, and his forehead frowned in slight irritation and eyes trying to find whoever just interrupted his sleep. _If _he was sleeping.

"Atobe," his voice is as emotionless as always, despite his lack of clothes and the earliness of the morning, "mind if I ask you; why are you here? At," his eyes shift a little to his right, "half eight in the morning? On a Sunday."

_He is known for being rather talkative when suffering from lack of sleep_, Keigo musses to himself. He smirks; that usual, all knowing smirk of his and crosses his arms in front of himself, leaning his weight on the left leg, "I came to talk you about… Some matters. And since I _know _that you usually are very _busy _during weekends, I figured that a visit now would be more, how should I say…" he touched his lips with the right hand's ring finger.

"I get it, so… Just come inside." Tezuka manages to refrain himself from sighing. He turns around, Keigo can see the upper part of Tezuka's butt-crack because of the low-riding light green sweat pants, and disappears from sight.

Keigo invites himself in and after shutting the door behind his back, the small hallway sinking into semi-darkness, goes the all too familiar way to the guestroom.

* * *

"Brat! Get your ass here!" Akutsu yelled from where he was standing in front of a stove.

It took some time for Ryoma's slightly crumpled form to dive out of the room he was given while living here and actually register where he was and who called him. His piercings, that usually decorated his lover lip and ears, were missing, only the small holes reminded of their existence, hair covered his eyes and the long-sleeved shirt covered his tattoo.

He yawned before looking in Akutsu's direction, "Food."

"Yeah, yeah.. But only after you actually wake up." Akutsu grumbled and straightened the apron around his stomach, "And you will have to wander around the town again today until the evening." He smirked, cigarette between his teeth again, "I have a _guest_ coming over."

"Ehhhh… So you _do _have someone you're dating. How come I didn't know about this?" Ryoma stole a piece of bacon from the frying pan and successfully evaded a fork that was thrown at him.

Akutsu made something like a growl, "Because I was smart enough not to tell you. Hey, don't steal my cigarettes, you damn brat!" Ryoma still didn't put it away and flickered the flame from Akutsu's lighter over its tip, "Anyway, he doesn't believe that shit spread around about you, so it won't matter if he sees you."

"So basically, it's not like you will be dumped because of me, but I have to disappear so that you can have some quality sexy time together, right?" Ryoma blew out a cloud of gray-ish smoke that soon was blown out of the kitchen.

A plate, full with eggs, bacon and some kind of salad, was slid in front of him and the red apron landed on the back of chair in front of him, "At least you're not stupid."

"Why thank you." Sarcasm could be spotted.

* * *

When Ryoma once again walked out of his bedroom the piercings were back in their usual places, today the color was changed from black to lime, just like his shirt, worn under the long-sleeved, black, leather jacket that had chains sewn on it. He had on the same lime color pants that seemed too long for him and rode low on his hips, shaping his ass in a sexy kind of way. The black Converse was the same pair that he wore for yesterday's tennis match with Akutsu.

Akutsu didn't even look up from the magazine he was reading, "I'll text when we're done. Also, I'll add a grocery list, so run into a supermarket or something, on your way back." He reached for another cigarette from the pack that was innocently lying on the table. "Do you have some cash on you?"

"Maybe, but I have some on my card." Ryoma looked in the mirror, ruffling his hair up a bit. "But, just don't do it my room, I'll have nightmares otherwise."

Akutsu glared, "There is always the couch."

Ryoma shot him a peeved look and slid his phone in the pocket of his pants, mp3 in his right hand as the left was holding the big headphones. "Sometimes, I have the urge to hit you in the balls, you know."

"What a surprise!" Akutsu was faking the surprised tone, "Me too." The sarcasm was way too obvious. "Now get the hell out, he'll be here any minute."

Ryoma rolled his eyes and the headphones covered his ears, The Gazette song blasting from them. "Yeah, yeah… Akutsu-_sama_." He managed to duck from the unidentified flying object that was thrown at him after the _sama _comment.

* * *

For the whole ten minutes that Keigo was alone in the semi-dark guestroom, because of the blinds covering the windows, he had managed to cease the thoughts about the so-called Prince of Tennis and think more about how, and what, he should ask Tezuka. He really didn't want to talk to Tezuka, off all people, but Keigo was not stupid _or _mentally challenged to not to see what was in front of him.

Fear.

Some of the used-to-be Seigaku regulars had fear in their eyes every time he, or someone else, brought up the topic about that fateful last day at the Nationals. There were exceptions like Fuji, Momoshiro (for some unknown reasons) and Tezuka himself, but the rest… One look from Tezuka and they would put up fake smiles and repeat the same things over and over again, like a bunch of well trained robots.

_Or maybe I should call them Tezuka's bitches? Even if the language__** is**__ too vulgar for someone of my status. _Keigo couldn't stop the amused smile that was pulling up the corners of his lips.

"I'm sorry I made you wait, Atobe." Tezuka's even voice stopped that playful smile from forming on Keigo's face. He sat down on one of the chairs, not really next to Keigo and not really in front of him, the shadows playing on his face. "What was it that you wanted to talk about with me?"

Keigo crossed his hands in front of himself again, just like his legs. "I heard some strange rumors from… people. I came to find out just how real they are, so I would be able to act according to their realness. Does it bother you, Tezuka?" He glanced at Tezuka for a moment, but then averted his eyes.

"Depends." A moment of silence "Depends on what kind of rumors, and about what they are." Tezuka said, not even a hint that he might know already. But Keigo wasn't one of the best for nothing. He could feel the air around Tezuka changing a bit, even if the teen in question didn't feel it himself.

A smirk, "Rumors about a certain _someone_ being back. The rest, you should know yourself." Keigo closed his eyes, securing Tezuka with a fake moment of privacy.

"There are, yes, I know. And," Keigo lifted his eyelids for a little bit, "they are true. However, I have not met him personally. But what exactly do you wish to know regarding this?" Tezuka now had a tint of annoyance in his voice.

Keigo averted his eyes again, "Why did he come back?" it wasn't the time for dancing around the issue and prying the answer out of someone little by little. This was Tezuka here; nothing that comes of his mouth is accidental mistake or something spontaneous. Keigo learned that a long time ago.

Tezuka does not answer immediately. He gets up and walks to lift up the blinders and allow the weak light to shine inside the room. Keigo can't see his face anymore. "I do not know that, just like I don't know the reason he suddenly left. But, I do _know_ that something will happen because of his sudden… Stunt, I'm sure."

"That may be true, it may." Keigo doesn't change his pose, "But you _do know _that someone will _try_ to befriend him again. What will you do when you have to choose friends or him? What will you do when things won't go as you have planned?" the slight mockery in Keigo's voice caused Tezuka to clutch his fingers together into a fist and tremble a bit.

The bespectacled teen turned away from the window, his eyes shining in anger and suspicion behind the glasses. He gave Keigo a long look before asking. "What are you talking about Atobe?" his voice was cold as ice now, "I can assure you that I have no idea why you are saying that. And what others do is not my problem."

"Well, if you say so Tezuka, if you say so." Though, Keigo's suspicions only got stronger. He got up from the chair and turned his back to the other, his eyes boring into the shadowed paintings hanging on the wall. "I should go now, I guess, there are probably _guests _coming to see you."

"You _are_ one of my guests, Atobe. So you shouldn't say it quite like that." It could be heard that he was trying to control some emotion from breaking loose and showing its true self.

Keigo turned around to give Tezuka a final look for today and a smirk that screamed 'I-know-it-all' tugging the corners of his lips again. "Maybe, but I don't come to let you have some _fun_ with parts of my body." He started to walk out of the room, "I shall not disturb you anymore."

Once the door clicked shut after him and the house sank into the stuffy silence, did Tezuka let the annoyance and hatred to burn in his eyes so vividly and strongly. His form slightly trembled from the anger and the silence was shattered to pieces when his fist connected with the glass of the window next to him. Shards of glass flew to different sides, some staying stuck in his hand, blood dripping down his hand and on the carpet, coloring it dark red.

"Fuck." A quiet whisper fluttered through the house.

* * *

Ryoma had been walking around the shopping district for a while now. The shops were all fine and all that, but… Nothing seemed to catch Ryoma's interest or at least entertain him for more than two seconds. There weren't any piercing shops around, so he couldn't waste time around looking for a new one to add to the collection he already had. The shops with the latest fashion, shoes, cafes and shops with random junk in them seemed so boring and stupid to him, so in the end, he decided to just wander around the neighborhood.

People who he didn't knew, houses that he has never seen, all was so different from what the seventeen year old remembered. He sighed, turning the music up a notch, and turned at another random corner, not really caring where he was going. The people that went by still stared at him, as if he was some criminal or delinquent. Well, it wasn't like he cared anyway.

The scenery changed bit by bit, but Ryoma still continued to walk, deeper into the blocks of houses; those that belonged to the rich and wealthy. The people around him had disappeared somewhere along the way and now he was completely alone.

He slowly walked down the road, not noticing the black sports car speeding up from behind him (not hearing too, actually), switching to a new 'The Gazette' song. Though, when the car stopped right next to him, the engine not ceasing it's purring, Ryoma looked up from the sidewalk and tried to look past the black, toned glass. Slowly, it started to side down and disappear into the space in the car door, revealing the driver.

Ryoma widened his eyes for a small fraction, but then the cold expression that he wore when the talk was about someone from Japan, settled on his face. "Yo, Atobe. Want to question me just like everybody else do, or you just decided to use this chance and rape me?"

"I wonder about that myself Echizen." Was all the Keigo answered him before opening the door and inviting Ryoma in his car.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah… So, just wanted to let you know that I might not be able to update regularly and a lot of different chapters/onehots at the same time, because… Because. Because of my busy schedule, that's why. I have stupid school, Japanese courses and just recently I started to attend driving school/lessons too, so I have only one (ONE) free day in the whole week. (Not to mention that my teachers are trying to kill me with the mountains of homework that they give me… Us.) **

**So, the deal is, I HAVE NO FUCKING FREE TIME! *epic explosions on the background as I stand on top of a mountain* I probably have disappointed some of you, BUT I am still alive (for how long, I don't know) and my stories will go on! :D**

**Yes, that was what I wanted to tell you. **

**P.S. Please, check out my story 'Nightmare'. It's so underrated that I'm thinking of not continuing it. HELP ME FIND THE WILL SO SAVE IT PLEASE! O.O Sorry, lack of sleep and big doses of caffeine.**

**THANK YOU ALL FOR READING THIS RANT! :D **


	6. Silently, It Comes

**Disclaimer: Even if I would conquer the world, this would still belong to Konomi-sensei. **

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and maybe fighting scenes or places were one is beaten up or there are people hurting themselves.

* * *

**

**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]**

**Side pairings: Saeki/Fuji, Oishi/Eiji (So, unpredictable), Sengoku/Ann, Akutsu/?. For now, that's it.

* * *

**

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Six: Silently, It Comes.

* * *

**

Ryoma widened his eyes for a small fraction, but then the cold expression that he wore when the talk was about someone from Japan, settled on his face. "Yo, Atobe. Want to question me just like everybody else do, or you just decided to use this chance and rape me?"

"I wonder about that myself Echizen." Was all the Keigo answered him before opening the door and inviting Ryoma in his car.

Ryoma's expression didn't change. He looked at Keigo through the opened door and then around him, checking to see if there were people around them. Throwing another quick glance at the successor of one of the biggest companies in Japan he tch-ed and turned away from the car, starting to walk down the road again.

He could hear the door slamming shut and a quick 'Wait, Echizen!' following it. The car soon was next to him again, moving forward just as slowly as he was walking. Ryoma allowed the annoyed expression settle on his face. "What do you want Atobe? Can't you see that I'm in no mood to have a nice, friendly chat with you?"

"Yes, I can see that." There was the contended undertone to Keigo's voice that started to piss Ryoma off even more. "But, I was also wondering, why someone that is so hated around here, would suddenly come back." He gives Ryoma a wry look.

Ryoma doesn't answer him, thinking about whether he actually should. It's not like he had an obligation to answer the questions of others (that will surely come in the future and are asked right now), since they already trust the lies and want nothing more than just another reason to hate him.

_I'll just ignore him._ Ryoma thinks to himself and places the headphones back over his ears, blocking out everything around him again, only the song, blasting in his ears, could be heard. He slid his hands inside the pockets of his leather jacket.

Keigo, on the other hand, glared at the clear display of arrogance, not that he himself was any better, and stomped his foot on the accelerator, making the black sports car roar and sped up, leaving Ryoma in dust (not really).

What he didn't see what the relieved sigh that Ryoma made once Keigo's car had driven past him in such speed, that strands of his hair were blown in front of his eyes and blurred his sight. He lifted his head and looked at the big, blue sky.

That was the last thing he saw before he inhaled the strong, sweet smell of chloroform, that had been poured on the cloth, now covering his mouth and nose, and everything became blurry.

* * *

/This happened right after Keigo left Tezuka's place, sorry about the time jump./

* * *

Tezuka didn't bother to wrap his bleeding hand into something to stop the bleeding; he rushed up to his room, avoiding the sharp shards of glass, where he had left his cell phone, a trail of small droplets of blood followed him. His eyes searched over the room, mind trying to remember. Once the phone was in his field of vision, lying under someone's t-shirt (definitely not Tezuka's), the bespectacled teen walked over to it and pulled it from where it had been lying.

After a moment of searching the right contact he pushed the call button, the mechanical rings flowing from the small speaker. After the third 'ring' the quiet click, indicating that whoever Tezuka called had picked up, cut the sounds.

"I want you to find Echizen and talk him onto leaving. Got it?" it seemed that it didn't bother the ex-captain that no one spoke on the other end, just the shallow breathing reached his ears. "Good." With that he shut his phone and threw it back where he found it.

Only then did he notice that everything he had touched, the phone too, was covered in his blood, as well as the small puddles spread throughout the room now (and obviously almost the whole house too). He looked at the blood, still sipping from his palm and crooked his head slightly to the left side, as if wondering what had happened to him.

But then an amused smile settled on his face, he made a fist with his right hand, not bothering about the pain, and laughed to himself. Really, this was all Echizen's own fault; coming here so suddenly and ruining his perfect little world.

"I should take care of that wound, shouldn't I?" Tezuka murmured to himself, but still didn't do anything to take care of it. Maybe he should make something up basing on this. Atobe did it to him, or maybe someone attacked him on his way to the store? "Not worth it."

He finally looked away from the wound and turned his head to look at himself in the mirror, the amused smile changing into a pleased smirk. No wonder he had so many players under his thumb, ready to do his every request and followed him like trained dogs that they were. Tezuka was well aware about his sex appeal, and was not afraid to use it for his own good, after all.

Well, at least the problem with Echizen should be solved soon, thanks to that guy. It was quite unexpected to find out that he had _some_ kind of use after all. Maybe it was a good thing that he had that fight with Ryuzaki-sensei after all, or he wouldn't have seen _that_.

"Well…" Tezuka sighed and moved the fingers of his right hand, "I should clean up a bit, Genichiro should be coming here soon." He picked up the t-shirt that was under his phone and threw it under the bed. It would be bad if someone found out about him and that puppy now wouldn't it?

* * *

/And we're back with Keigo/

* * *

"Goddamn it!" Keigo swore as he sped past all the rich-looking, western-style houses, a blur of white to his eyes.

He didn't know why, but the way Ryoma acted just now pissed him off, even more than Tezuka and all his little schemes. Sure, he hadn't seen the brat for how many years, five maybe and Ryoma probably couldn't bring himself to trust to him. But that didn't mean that he should be ignored so.. Bluntly.

He turned the steering wheel sharply to the left, making the car screech and do a ninety degree turn, parking it parallel to the sidewalk, the engine now purring again. The few people that had been walking leisurely along the road now looked at him in fear and anger, their bags lying on the ground and the products either fallen out of them and now unusable, or still rolling on the ground, coming to a stop at their owner's feet.

But Keigo didn't care. He allowed his forehead to hit the top of the steering wheel and closed his eyes, his hands still clutching the aforementioned steering wheel. Yes, he admits it, he did have a small crush on the twelve year old prodigy that had mocked him all those years ago on those old street tennis courts and challenged to a game. And no matter how hard he had tried, he wasn't able to properly let go of those feelings.

Even when he found out about the farce that had happened at the Nationals.

"Idiots. What kind of morons are they to believe that bullshit that Tezuka gave us?" his fist connected with the plastic panel in front of the steering wheel. "And Echizen is an idiot for letting them get to him. Where the hell did the brat that I knew went to, ahhn?" he asked himself, even if the question was for someone else to answer.

He raised his head and looked out the toned windows of his car, the outside world darker that it actually was. Keigo didn't know why, but the uneasiness that he felt when he left Ryoma alone and allowed the temporary anger take over him had now grown in size. It was like something inside him was urging him to go back and make sure…

He once again turned the steering wheel to his left, left foot letting the clutch go and right gently pressing down the accelerator, the engine purring louder and the people that still lingered there, moving away from the car, in fear of another movie like stunt. Once sure that he will be fine, Keigo straightened the steering wheel and accelerated, going back the way he came from, looking for Ryoma.

Once he got closer to the spot where he had left the young seventeen year old he slowed down; carefully looking at both sides of the road, not really knowing what to look for in the first place. The street was just as deserted as it was when he had spotted Ryoma in the first place, not a soul in sight at the moment.

Though, Keigo narrowed his eyes a little, something was moving up ahead. And not just walking or running, or giving his dog a walk, but it looked more like the person, man in this case, no older than Keigo himself, was pulling something. The flash of bright green (_lime color_, Keigo automatically determined) made his eyes widen.

"No way…" he sped up again, already getting out of the embrace of the safety belt, "…In hell!"

Once he was close enough, the unknown teen had already spotted him and was trying to get the passed out Ryoma to the van, hidden behind the unkept bushes and trees, Keigo jumped out of his car, leaving it in the middle of the road and without a second thought swung his fist at the other teen.

There was a thud and blood and saliva splattered on the pavement, obviously a sign that Keigo had managed to break the others nose, as the teen, not that much younger than Keigo, fell on the ground. His lips moved and then the brown, glaring eyes were turned to Keigo.

Too bad that he was too slow, since Keigo was already retreating to his car, Ryoma in his hands and even if there was a small chance that he would catch him and take away Ryoma, following _his_ orders, it seemed useless to try. The blood from his nose dripped into his mouth, the metallic taste disgusting him.

He watched as Keigo drove off, taking out his black cell phone and seemingly blindly pushing buttons, searching for _his _number on the contacts list. The phone rang and rang and rang, but no one picked it up. He ended the call, eyes trained on the small device in his hands, while his left hand was holding a part of his shirt to the bleeding nose.

He settled for a simple message and quickly typed it, not bothering about the wrong letters in words and the seemingly random text; his boss should understand anyway. He threw another hate filled glance in the direction where Keigo had driven off and tch-ed.

"Fucking Echizen and that rich ass. Now I will have to suffer _his_ damn anger floods." He spit out the blood, gathered in his mouth, kicking some dried up tree branches away from his path. "Shit."

* * *

At the same time Keigo drove back to his own home, all the while throwing worried glances at the sleeping boy next to him, clumsily pushed into the passenger's seat. From what he could tell Ryoma was alright, unconscious yes, but fine; no sign of bleeding or broken bones.

Though, his own left fist, mostly the knuckles, pulsated with pain and looked a little bruised, as a result of a not so well performed left hook. Not that he could help it; the sudden rage, or maybe the feelings of possessiveness and overprotectiveness* over the boy, just blinded him and it was like his body moved on its own.

Keigo jumped slightly when he felt the vibrations in his pocket. With one hand still on the steering wheel he slipped the other, his right one, inside his pocket and giving a brief look at the caller ID answered: "Yes Oshitari?"

"_I know that it is probably pointless to ask you, but do you plan on getting here or will just skip practice again?_" Oshitari sounded bored, or maybe amused, just was too good at hiding it.

Keigo thought for a moment. "I highly doubt that I will be able to attend today's tennis practice. Something suddenly came up and I cannot ignore it. You are in charge today." He made a turn and already located the small remote, needed for opening the gates to his house, with his eyes.

Oshitari let out a laugh. "_Yes, I already thought so. Will you tell me how did it go with Tezuka later? Or I should use dirty methods perhaps…Gakuto, don't eat that!_" it seemed that the substitute captain already had problems to take care of.

"Do not worry Oshitari." Keigo leisurely drove into this parent's property, the guards bowing slightly, acknowledging him as their son. "I will tell you everything you wish to know. And give Gakuto five laps around the courts for disrupting practice."

Oshitari yelled something back at the members of the tennis club and only then spoke to Keigo: "_Appreciate it Atobe. And I just gave your message to Gakuto; he didn't look too happy about it though._" Now there really was amusement in Oshitari's voice as he spoke.

"His problem, not mine." Keigo laughed too, stopping the car and already getting out of it. "Now then, I must go now Oshitari. See you." He walked around the car to get Ryoma out of it.

"_Hai, hai…_" the line went dead and Keigo shut the phone shut, sliding it back into his pocket. He had a feeling that he will need to think beforehand what to tell Oshitari.

* * *

***Is '**_**overprotectiveness**_**' a real word? Because my computer insisted that it isn't. And I don't trust Google anymore. **

**A/N: Oh my God, I think my brain just went into overdrive. O_O**

**Why you ask? Well, because I have been writing fanfiction nonstop since Monday, because I wanted to post things up before Friday (Party! WOOP, WOOP!). So I had to lock my lazy-ass self in some chamber deep into the ground and get serious. + I have something like a cold, yet it's not a cold. **

**And yeah, fear my knowledge of cars and driving, fear it. It seems that the driving school did pay off. (Even if I crashed into two big piles of snow today and almost busted dad's car.)**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE! :D **


	7. Liar

**Disclaimer: Even if I would conquer the world, this would still belong to Konomi-sensei. **

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and maybe fighting scenes or places were one is beaten up or there are people hurting themselves.

* * *

**

**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]**

**Side pairings: Saeki/Fuji, Oishi/Eiji (So, unpredictable), Sengoku/Ann, Akutsu/?. For now, that's it.

* * *

**

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Seven: Liar.

* * *

**

"Atobe won't be coming again?" Gakuto asked, still panting slightly from the running he did. "And here I thought that egoist will finally show up."

Oshitari looked away from the game between Shishido and Hiyoshi to look at Gakuto, over the frame of his fake glasses. After a moment he returned to the game and nonchalantly answered the red-head. "It's the same thing he always says. Nothing new about that." He pushed up his fake glasses a bit, "Why do you ask Gakuto? You usually don't worry about Atobe being here."

"Am not! He just…" the red-head made a face, "Doesn't seem like himself for the past few days. Thought it had something to do with _him_ showing up, that's all." Gakuto turned around on his heel and walked away. "Maybe I'll play match with Kabaji or something."

"Really…"a sigh, "Atobe sure loves to make my life harder than it already is." Oshitari mutters before looking up again, in time to see the bright yellow ball whiz past Hiyoshi and bounce on his side of the court. "Game, Shishido wins."

Few claps, from the students that still attended the Hyotei middle school, could be heard around the tennis courts. The old regulars came to their school from time to time for a get-together tennis practice and to see each other, as well as teach something to the brats that will hopefully take Hyotei to the Nationals again. Many of them have the abilities to go big, but little of them have the strength to do that.

At least, that's what Keigo says.

"I'll Gekokujou you one day, Shishido-sempai. Mark my words." Hiyoshi muttered to himself and slumped on the small bench next to the courts. He was out of breath and sweat trickled down his face, his right hand's fingers clutched the water bottle and he tried to calm down. "Gekokujou."

Shishido was wiping his face in the towel, brought to him by Ootori, and snickered: "Yeah, yeah… I'll mark them aright. Che." His hair had grown out during this time and now reached his shoulders. Seemed that he was comfortable with this length, or, at least, Ootori said so.

"Atobe's not here?" Shishido asked once the blue cap was back on his head.

Oshitari had entered the fence-surrounded territory at some point after the match and was now checking out his own racquet. He didn't look up, just repeated the same thing again: "Seems like won't be coming today."

"Let me guess – another thing came up?" Shishido asked; mocking the way Keigo usually spoke. "He's probably just skipping again, since he's been nothing but an ass these last few days." Another sarcastic laugh and he was walking out of the court, in the direction of the water taps.

Hiyoshi walked past Oshitari too, the black racquet resting on his shoulder, and he followed Shishido's path. "Maybe it's because of Echizen showing up? Not that I care. I just want to achieve my Gekokujou."

_He can be quite sharp, even if he doesn't realize it._ Oshitari watched the retreating back of his former kouhai and sighed. _And yet, he's still the same. _Something that looked like a cross between a smile and a smirk crossed his lips before he walked on his side of the court and got ready to receive Taki's serve.

* * *

The room reeked of sex. The heavy air, the stickiness it made them feel and the humid atmosphere from everything that they had done not too long ago. It felt like the air was choking them, the still fresh smells of sweat and semen lingered in it.

One of the two that lied in the bed got up. He was quite tall and the muscles were well developed on his body, shaping his from nicely and making him even more attractive to the other (and the same) gender, together with the nearly black eyes and sharp facial features, covered by the black hair. He was still completely naked and sweaty, adding to the sexiness, seen only to the other occupant of the room.

He moved to the window, gently lifting up the glass frame and letting the fresh breath of the air into the room, pushing the overused one out. He leaned on the windowsill, his hands supporting his weight, and closed his eyes, enjoying the cool breath of wind caressing his face.

"Genichiro…" a voice asked from behind him, "What are you doing?"

The one by the window looked back at the other man, lazily sleeping on the bed and all wrapped in sheets. His right hand was hanging over the side of the bed, fingers resting on the soft carpet, the white bandages slowly slipping off from the palm.

Genichiro blinked and returned to watching the sky. "Nothing. You should re-bandage that, you know. It won't be good if it gets infected, Kunimitsu." He said, still not leaving the window.

"I know." There was a rustle of sheets, "Maybe later." Genichiro could tell that Tezuka was now sitting in his bed and watching his back side. His _very low _backside.

He sighed, when Tezuka will have enough. Really. "I'm going to the bathroom. Bandage that while I'm not here. Just because it's not hurting anymore, doesn't mean the wound is not there." He grabbed his underwear along the way and shot another glance at his partner.

When he was gone from the room Tezuka got up and went to get his cell phone from the floor and made it come back to life. He pushed some buttons, going though the recent calls, seeing if someone had called him while he was _having fun_ with Sanada. After all, there still was that matter at hand.

He didn't come to any missed calls, though, there was an unread message waiting for him. A small one, explaining everything in simple terms, and didn't go in too many details of the whole thing. It read:

_Almost got him, the rich ass showed up and screwed everything up. My nose is bleeding now, so leave me the fuck alone for today._

"Damn it." He growled and didn't bother to reply to one of his pets –Arai. It really was such a pain in the ass, Atobe that is. He showed up in his house, questioned him and even gave him the message that he knows everything about what's going on in his head. "Yeah right."

Maybe, it would be better if he took care of it personally? Nah, it coasted too much, his reputation of the 'perfect captain that got used' will be sort of ruined. Not that it is perfect at the moment, thanks to his preferences in dating.

"Gen, can you hear me?" He called out, letting the sheets loose up around his naked body.

"Yeah." His partner's voice was a little muffled when he spoke, but Tezuka still heard it. "What is it?"

He smirked, "I want another round." He liked the sudden silence that was his answer at the moment. "Are you ready yet, Gen?"

The matter with Echizen could wait a bit; he had much more better and enjoyable things to take a part in waiting. After that, he will decide how to destroy the brat once and for all, if Sanada won't be up for more at that time.

* * *

He felt weird.

His head hurt and it felt like he would throw up any given moment, but yet, at the same time… It was like he was floating on something very soft and warm, soothing his tired body and lulling back to sleep. Gently.

He was awake, yes, but his eyelids felt so very, very heavy. Like they were made from some kind of metal; keeping his eyes shut and not letting them open up, to let the light blind him. It was so strange. And so very frightening. Not knowing what's happening and where you are, what will happen to you and who is behind all of this. Probably someone that didn't want him here; there are a lot of those around.

Maybe he should have taken up Atobe's offer for a ride? At least it wouldn't be as pitiful as this situation. Kidnapping in the middle of the day; how pathetic can he get? Did he really deserve all of this, this shame and humiliation and pain and torture? Maybe he really did, he was, after all, nothing more but a damn thief.

Or so they had made him believe.

He groaned lifting his equally heavy arm up to his head and covered his closed eyes; his head was painfully throbbing. Though, his alone time was disturbed rather quickly.

"Echizen, I see that you have woken up. Glad to see that." Keigo's voice registered in Ryoma's tired brains and he groaned again. This was not who he had wanted to hear first thing after waking up in this… Where was he again? "I will have to ask you to remove yourself from the middle of my bed though. I wish to go to sleep soon."

Ryoma jolted up in a sitting positing, but soon regretted doing that. The wave of dizziness that came over him, together with the sickness, was more than he could take at the moment. He swayed and almost fell, but strong arms caught him just in time.

"Watch it." Someone breathed near his ear, tickling the sensitive skin. "Whatever he used on you, it was pretty strong. You should just rest a bit more." Keigo's voice wasn't really gentle or worried, but there weren't the hints of coldness and hate either.

Ryoma calmed his breathing, his eyes half-lidded. "Where am I and why? And why the hell are you with me? The hell happened anyway?" he really was starting to get sick from all of this. "The last thing I remember is some dude attacking me. Ugh…"

"Well.. To make long story short – you got attacked and almost kidnapped, but I came back and saved you." Keigo pulled away from Ryoma and showed the pale youth his bandaged left hand, "This is because of you. Rejoice, I did it for you, that _is _something to brag about."

Ryoma made a face, "Like hell." He took some deep breaths and moved to get out of the bed. "I'm getting out of here, thanks for saving me; I'll pay you back somehow." He sighed and mumbled, "Damn all of this."

Before his feet could touch the ground something collided with his sore body and he was pushed back into the bed, Keigo's arms holding down his shoulders and not letting him move. Ryoma just blinked up at the rich diva and after the shock had faded away - glared.

"Get off."

Keigo didn't change his expression, just used a little more force in keeping Ryoma down. "No. To let you out in this state? It's like you are walking around with a 'screw me; I'm defenseless' sign on your neck. Think with your head for once in your life." Keigo's eyes narrowed.

"Get off Atobe. I have no wish to stay here. Besides, what do you care what happens to me, aren't I the infamous dick that used the great Seigaku regulars? You're supposed to hate me, not pity." The words dripped with hate and disgust. His eyes shone with such hatred towards the people and world that it almost hurt to watch him.

"Where did the Echizen Ryoma I knew go?" Keigo suddenly asked, his voice almost a whisper, yet sounded so clear and loud, as if he had screamed the words out.

Ryoma looked at him, searching something on his face, or maybe inside himself. His face morphed into the emotionless mask once again, his eyes went dead and he took a small breath. "He died, withered and died."

The silence that was hanging in the air spoke of shock and confusion, so thick that it swallowed up all the other sounds. Keigo released Ryoma's shoulders and stepped away from him, his face unreadable and dark. He waited for Ryoma to sit up again, the latter not looking at the rich man.

"Pathetic." Keigo laughed, "That is just plain pathetic. You should have gone your way, ignoring everyone. Just like you always did." He ran his right hand through the purple locks of hair. "You are pathetic…"

Ryoma clutched the blanket between his fingers. "I don't need you to tell me that, asshole. I know it too well myself. Heh, but what do _you_, of all people, care? Just like the rest of those damn morons you should just believe what _they _told you and leave me the fuck alone. Since I didn't ask for this." The last part was nothing more than just a weak whisper, barely choked out.

"But what if I didn't believe Tezuka, what then?" Keigo raised his voice up a few octaves, "Do you honestly think that _every single damn one of all the tennis players believe that bullshit_? That's why I said that you are pathetic." Keigo saw Ryoma flinch from the way he had talked just now.

The trembling teen shakily stood up and glared daggers at the rich man. "How the hell can I trust you people now, that you have already shown me that you are nothing more than a bunch of motherfucking users!" he grabbed his stuff from the small nightstand next to Keigo's bed and rushed past the owner of the room without sparing him a glance.

"I don't fucking give second chances." He muttered when walking past the rich diva, a slam of the door soon following.

* * *

**A/N: Well that was an awkward place to end this whole thing. -.-**

**And I'll tell you one thing - Sanada's and Tezuka's names are a pain in the ass to write. They are long and easy to misspell; I don't like them. And ugh… Sanada doing Tezuka.. Yuck, just yuck. I know they are also a part of OT5, but there are three more, so their **_**dirty little secrets**_** are not brought up too much. **

**I think I have a trauma now, just thinking about it. And the images.. Oh God. X(**


	8. I've Already Died

**Disclaimer: Even if I would conquer the world, this would still belong to Konomi-sensei. **

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and maybe fighting scenes or places were one is beaten up or there are people hurting themselves.

* * *

**

**Pairing: Royal Pair [Atobe/Ryoma]

* * *

**

**Beta-ed by _Deaths. Last. Prayer._**__**(Thank you very much! :3)

* * *

**

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Eight: I've Already Died.

* * *

**

Ryoma staggered along the road, the bright silver half-moon in the night sky lighting his way. No one was out at such a late hour, this he was grateful for. There would be no one to bother him with idle chatter or even attempt to offer help... that was what he'd hoped for.

"Damn." A low groan fell from his lips as he paused in order to let the wave of dizziness pass. He still felt sick from the dose of medicine forcefully given to him earlier that day. "What the hel-"

Violent coughs racked his body before his hand shot to his mouth. Glistening golden eyes darted around in search for a bush, a trash can... anything would do. His misted irises landed on a grove of bushes a few feet ahead and Ryoma forced himself toward them. When he was close enough, he keeled over and emptied the contents of his stomach into the bushes. His insides... they felt like they were burning and the acidic aftertaste nearly made him vomit again. He gasped, hands resting on his knees, his breaths coming in short as he swallowed the cool night's air.

"Why..." He whispered, his eyes connecting with the inky sky. "Why is this happening to me? What the fuck did I do?" He paused as a cough forced its way up his throat.

Ryoma wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. A sour taste continued to burn his tongue.

* * *

Ryoma couldn't remember how he got back to Akutsu's place nor did he care. His mind was blank, empty of all and any thought as he lay on the couch, golden eyes focused on the dirty ceiling above. He couldn't move, didn't want to move. It was as if he was anchored to the couch and that was fine with him. He felt sick... he felt _numb_. Not even the stray rays of sun peering through the curtains were enough to jar him in the least. The door to the living room opened with an audible creak before Akutsu stepped inside. Ryoma didn't bother to acknowledge him.

Yellow eyes roamed over the boy lying on the couch and noted that he was still in his street clothes. "Were you always this pathetic?"

"Shut up..." The words that fell from Ryoma's lips were void of their bratty lit.

They were as empty as he felt.

Akutsu shot him an inquisitive glance before he pushed aside Ryoma's legs and sat at the other end of the couch. He lit a cigarette because it calmed him and subsequently put the brat at ease. "What happened?"

"Stuff..." Was Ryoma's mumbled reply.

Akutsu sighed in irritation. "Give me something more than '_stuff'_ you damned brat." His eyes didn't move from their focused spot on the wall. "Whatever it is, I already told you that you're stronger than it- than them."

"I know..." The words were barely audible as Ryoma continued. "But... I don't get it!" A scowl lit his face and his voice filled with renewed anger. "Why the hell can't they just leave me alone? I didn't come here for this... Why the hell do they- fuck..." Golden eyes slid shut as he calmed himself, his previous spark of emotion dying out.

For a while, no one said a word. Akutsu allowed the silence to engulf them as he waited for Ryoma to start up again. They would get nowhere if he interrogated the 17 year-old brat and he hated wasting his breath. Hell, he hated talking in general, especial about emotional bullshit. That didn't mean that he wouldn't pulverize the bastards who dared to mess with one of his friends. He did _care _for Ryoma and he had his own way of showing it - gruff approach or not.

"I was drugged." Ryoma lifted a hand to cover his eyes, not entirely sure why he was saying anything to begin with. "After that, I was interrogated by an egotistical prick who wanted to know why I wasn't standing up to Tezuka." He sighed in frustration. "Why the hell does he care anyway?"

Something wet slide down the side of Ryoma's face and whether or not the boy was crying was up for debate. Either way, Akutsu didn't want to know.

"So you're just gonna let 'em keep fucking with you?" Akutsu watched as the ashes from his cigarette landed in the ashtray on the table. "Or are you gonna start fightin' back?"

There was a challenge in those words that Ryoma didn't like but he wouldn't let the man beside him know as much. His dry lips parted as he uttered a curt "Shut up." That would do for the moment.

Akutsu smirked. "Coward." He muttered as he stood from the couch, positive Ryoma had heard him. It was only a matter of time-

"I'm no fucking coward." Ryoma retorted as he sat up, honey colored irises glaring at Akutsu's back.

"Prove it." Akutsu didn't bother to turn around lest it ended up a waste of his time.

There was silence for a moment before Ryoma spoke up again. "I'll fight back."The admission was soft but steady and bore a confidence that was a semblance of the Past Ryoma. "I'll show them the monster they've been anxious to see."

Akutsu would swear that he detected a smirk attached with that statement but it was Ryoma's desire for revenge that had him captivated. It was all he needed to hear in order to know that Ryoma would be fine and things were about to get interesting. He'd have to tell Marui... the guy would never pass up an opportunity to get revenge no matter the target.

"Good luck with that." He walked towards the door pausing in the doorway to give Ryoma one last glance, his tone bored. "Food will be done in a few minutes so get your ass up from there and do… something about yourself. You smell like shit."

When the door clicked shut Ryoma fell back onto the couch, a groan tumbling from his mouth. It was time for things to change and the best way to go about that would be by telling the truth. But how the hell was he supposed to go about doing that? Did people expect him to post fliers that read "_Tezuka is a lying asshole"._ Yeah... because that would get everyone's attention.

"I guess I need to man up, huh?" Golden eyes strayed towards the window. "Just Great..."

* * *

"Sanada? Why is he here?" Momo paused in the doorway of _Seigaku's_ gym, as he watched Sanada use the machine he _always_ used.

The ex-Rikkai Dai student paused, his head turning a little as he glanced at Momoshiro out of the corner of his eye. He'd never cared much for the loud mouthed powerhouse and that had not changed over the years. That being the case, he resumed his exercising and decided to ignore the boy - maybe he would be left alone if he did that.

Momo wasn't surprised by the coldness coming from Sanada so, instead of making a fuss about it, he simply got onto the treadmill next to Sanada and began running. Dark eyes darted towards the man beside him before quickly glancing away again. "Sanada... um... can I ask you... um... something?"

Sanada shut off his machine, his emotionless tone cutting clearly through the silence. "Were I to say 'no,' you would ask anyway, correct?" He could careless for their potential conversation but there was no avoiding it.

"You're right." Momo stopped his machine as well and stared at the man beside him. "About Tezuka... do you-"

"My relationship with Kuni- _Tezuka_ is none of your concern. Unless..." Sanada's deep brown eyes regarded Momoshiro, his tone cold. "Are you the new puppy he spoke about?" He slung his towel over his shoulder as he waited for a response- a reaction of any kind.

Momo's grip on the treadmill railings tightened before he stopped his machine as well, all of his attention focused on the intimidating man beside him. "I don't really care how he sees me as long as I can be by his side..." He wiped at the sweat trickling down his face. "But you... You do know about Tachibana and Fuji, don't you? And now Echizen is back..." His face took on a dark expression. "Are you alright with that?"

Sanada's face drew into a scowl. "This is the last time I am going to repeat this to you: I do not care about what Tezuka does or what he has planned. My relationship with him is purely physical and void of any emotions- this is something we've both agreed to." His words were sharp and his eyes narrow. "As for Echizen... Whatever happened at _Nationals_ is none of my business and, as long as he keeps away from me, I'll have no qualms with him."

Sanada picked up his water bottle and drank before he turned to leave. Momoshiro and the boy's ridiculous chain of questions chased away his urge to exercise and filled the room with a feeling of displeasure. Sanada always tended to walk away from their encounters feeling both angry and annoyed. Yes... Momoshiro had officially ruined his good mood and that was exactly why he hated the boy so.

Momo watched as the stoic boy left, his brows knitted curiously together. "But…" He stared at the mirror on the wall, confused purple eyes staring back at him. "Didn't Inui say that Sanada-san likes _that guy_… but... so... why is he doing that with Tezuka-sempai?"

He still didn't have any of the answers he'd hoped for. In fact, he was even more confused than he'd start out being.

* * *

Delicate fingers intertwined as the two clasped hands and ignored the open stares of those they passed by. Neither one of them cared for the opinions of others when it came to their relationship for it was theirs alone. As long as they were fine, everything else was.

Fuji had never cared about social norms as it was and Saeki was to follow him, whether he wanted to or not. He would not take a simple "no" for an answer. Never. And Saeki doesn't mind because he'd long ago gotten used to following along with Fuji's whims. To him, it was entertaining- it was something that made his dull daily life bright and interesting.

"Syuu, where are we going?" Saeki pulled on his boyfriend's hand in hopes of slowing him down. "Do we really need to rush?"

Fuji turned to look at his lover, a mischievous smile dancing about his lips. "No where special. I just want to talk to Yukimura about plans for Yanagi and Inui's birthday. I would've called him but we both know how hard he's been to reach these days." Fuji picked up the pace again feeling he'd explained more than he'd had to.

Saeki sighed as he cast a worried glance at his lover. "What if he's busy?"

Fuji laughed as they rounded a corner and headed down a small street towards a park. "It'll be okay. I asked Niou about Yukimura's schedule and he should be free right now. I promise, we won't be causing any trouble and- ah! There he is now!"

It seemed as though the delicate man was expecting them as he waved them over, Niou by his side. "Hello Fuji, Saeki." Yukimura nodded politely as he scooted over to make room for the two to sit on the grass beside him and Niou.

Niou raised his head from the manga he was reading to give a curt wave before continuing to read _Ao no Exorcist_.

"It's good to see you Yukimura and, as you know, I've come to talk about the birthdays of our two favorite data collectors. What ideas do you have so far?" Fuji watched as Saeki wandered over towards Niou, the two engrossing themselves in a discussion about the manga the latter held in his hands. He knew bringing Saeki would keep the other busy... it was always good to think ahead. "And I can certainly make arrangements too."

"Well..." Yukimura smiled as he pulled a few neatly folded papers from the bag sitting near his feet. "This is what I have so far but it's not as grand as one of Atobe's parties. Still, I think they'll like it." He handed a copy of his plans to Fuji. "Are you sure they'll be free on that particular day?"

"Yes, I made sure of it." Fuji glanced over the notes written in Yukimura's neat handwriting. "Yes, this will do. Do you have a guest list prepared? Or I could help if you prepare one if you need me to."

Yukimura shook his head in refusal. "Thank you but that's alright. You've done your part and now I must do mine." He looked up at the blue sky and smiled. "Do you have any special requests, perhaps?"

Fuji's smile was simply devilish as his eyes opened, their azure hue glinting beneath light brown bangs. "Actually, I do have something or, more precisely, _someone_ in mind." Boy did he have someone in mind...

Tezuka would be quite pleased, this Fuji was sure of.

Meanwhile...

Saeki leaned closer to Niou as he read over the current page. "That's so unfair. He was just trying to save them!" He glance to the side and met Niou's gaze. "What?"

"They're blinded by fear so it's natural to react like that." He smirked and popped a bubblegum bubble. "Do you know what happens next?" He closed the manga and dropped it beside him on to the grass. "I mean, I already know. I'm just re-reading it since we have to wait so long for the new chapters."

Saeki laughed as he leaned back onto his elbows. "I know what happens. They all go around sulking for a while, right? But I wonder why they're so blind when it comes to the simplest matters?"

The corners of Niou's mouth pulled into a sly smirk. "That's an easy one: it's because they can't tell the difference between good and evil yet. Don't you think?"

"Yea, that's what I thought too." Saeki nodded. Soon, the two were engaged in deep conversation about their thoughts on how friendship, fear, and dishonesty all appeared in the manga.

* * *

**A/N: If you read all that thing on the top part, well..Not all of it, but some, then you might notice that I have a beta for this story. Yay! She's awesome, by the way. :D**

**Yeah, so I guess the updates for this one will be quite random again, since I'm one of the lazy writers and it takes some time for her to finish beta-ing what I have written. And, all the previous chapters are going through the process of cleaning, so I'll replace them once she finishes.  
**


	9. Slowly It Starts To Move

**Disclaimer: Even if I would conquer the world, this would still belong to Konomi-sensei. **

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and maybe fighting scenes or places were one is beaten up or there are people hurting themselves. **

* * *

**Beta-ed by**** _Deaths. Last. Prayer._**

* * *

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Nine: Slowly It Starts To Move.**

* * *

Tezuka sat in his room, seemingly engrossed in that particular book he had found earlier and sipping the semi-warm tea from time to time. Today was one of the few days that he could spend on his own, since his past-time entertainments (meaning: sex buddies) were all busy for the whole day. And really, Tezuka was not _that _horny to go at it every single day.

He just tended to get bored fast and needed something to get his mind off of things. Unpleasant things mostly, like Echizen and Atobe for example.

Tezuka sighed and allowed his eyes to wander away from the book that turned out to be boring as hell, and stop at the dark spot on the wall next to him. The tea had long since dried out and left that spot there and even some of the remains of his cup could still be seen lying on the wooden floor. It wasn't that Tezuka was lazy and didn't _want_ to clean that up… It was just that he couldn't quite bring himself to _care_ about that.

The soft melody of his ringtone brought Tezuka out of the daze he had gotten himself into, without knowing it himself, and made the bespectacled man look away from that one spot and get up from his chair, the book falling down on the floor as he did that. And yet, once again, Tezuka didn't care.

"Yes?" he didn't look at the caller ID before picking up. He never really did that.

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line: "_And here I thought you would be busy Tezuka. Oh how wrong I was._" Fuji faked the surprise in his voice.

"Fuji." Tezuka acknowledged the caller with a bored voice and went back to his chair, stepping on the forgotten book on his way, "What do you want now?"

"_How mean. You think so low of me Tezuka._" Fuji sounded as if he was sulking now, which he really wasn't doing, "_I just wanted to ask you something, that's all, but you already assumed that I want something from you._"

Tezuka suppressed a sigh and leaned back in the chair. "Just tell me what you want."

"_Really… you are always so edgy when horny. Anyway, you do know about Inui and Renji's birthday party, right?_" Fuji waited for a moment, but when he didn't receive any answer he continued, sounding a bit let down, "_I was thinking about inviting Echizen to it too._"

Tezuka furrowed his eyebrows and sat up straighter. His voice held some interest when he spoke, "Why? There is no point in pretending that he is somebody we want to see and associate ourselves with. What's the point?"

"_Now you are dense too._" Fuji simply said and sighed, sounding like a mother that was explaining the simplest things to her child, "_If we get him there, in front of all those people who know him and make him look like a bad guy I'm sure that there will probably be no one left that would believe him. What do you think?_"

"I see… That _is_ perfect." Tezuka smirked to himself and once again leaned back into the chair, "But, in that case, we need him to come to it, and I don't think he will."

Fuji chuckled again, "_If he doesn't come then that will just mean the he is avoiding us and actually did use and betray us, like we said. He will be on the losing end either way, whether he wants it or not_."

"You really did think this through Fuji." Tezuka didn't let the smirk disappear from his lips. This was in all ways a perfect chance to destroy what little good reputation and bearable life in this town that Echizen had left.

"_Don't I always? I already sent the invitation to him, so now we just have to wait. Now then, I have to go now; Kojirou is waiting for me. Bye, bye Tezuka!_" Fuji said his goodbyes and ended the call, leaving only the soft beeps of the dial tone behind.

Tezuka shut his phone and slid it in the pocket of his pants, his eyes once again wandering over to the dried tea on his wall. Perhaps, he will manage to end this before university starts again and won't have to worry about Echizen ever coming back again.

Well, he did hope for this summer to be at least somewhat interesting, didn't he?

* * *

"Atobe, so you finally decided to show up for one of our meetings?" Gakuto placed his racked on his right shoulder, "What made you change your mind again? Two days ago you suddenly decided to ditch again."

Keigo just raised one of his elegant eyebrows. "I didn't decide to _ditch_, as you put it. Some urgent things just came up, that is all." He answered the red-head and walked to where Oshitari stood, watching the game between Hiyoshi and Shishido.

"Hello there Atobe." Oshitari greeted the rich man without looking away from the match. "I see that you actually came today, though, without any tennis gear and sportswear."

"Because, I came to see them play, not play myself. Besides, you wanted information, did you not?" Keigo leaned against the chained fence next to the former tensai of Hyotei.

Oshitari smirked and pushed his glasses up a bit. "Yes, that I did. But are you sure that this is the right place for talking? There are so many ears that might hear and so many people that are not meant to hear." He nonchalantly looked to his right.

Keigo followed with his eyes to where Oshitari was now looking and surpassed a frown, keeping his face straight and composed. Niou and Marui, two of the ex-regulars from Riakkai Dai Fuzoku, entered the Hyotei middle school's tennis courts.

"I see what you mean Yuushi." Keigo quietly said to the other and straightened up, but didn't leave the place where he stood. He was a king; if they needed him that much, then _they_ should be the ones to come to him, not the other way around.

When the two got closer did Oshitari step away from the fence he was also leaning on, just like Keigo, and stand next to his friend, his arms crossed in front of him. "Hello you two. It's not every day that ex-Rikkai Dais come here." He greeted the two newcomers.

By this time the whole tennis club and the old regulars of Hyotei had noticed the two and were waiting for whatever will happen next, the curiosity getting the best of them. Though, one look from Keigo and they all went back to their matches and trainings, still glancing in the foursomes' direction from time to time.

"Yo, Atobe, Oshitari." Marui raised one hand up as a greeting sign, eying the rich man carefully. "We're here on Yuki-sans orders. Not because we wanted to, just so you know." He looked around and narrowed his eyes after saying that.

Keigo merely nodded. "Jiroh is not here today, if you are looking for him." After watching the sugar addictive red-head sigh, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, just like Oshitari had done before and asked, "What orders, if I may ask?"

"You really aren't friendly towards us, are you Monkey Lord." Niou leaned on his left leg and pushed his hands in the pockets of his knee-length, army-themed pants. "Puri." He added then, just for the sake of annoying Keigo.

Keigo made a face, but then quickly allowed the uncaring expression settle on his face again. "As if that would be something new, you should be used to it already." He said in a bored voice, as if that was something so painfully oblivious to anyone there.

"Anyway, putting Atobe aside," Oshitari decided to join the conversation now, for the sake of preventing a verbal fight between the trickster and king. "Did you say that Yukimura sent you two? The curiosity is almost killing me." He smiled that strange smile of his.

Marui blinked once and then started to search for something in the red plastic bag in his hands. He rolled up the sleeves of his red hoodie and murmured something to himself as he dug through what seemed to be envelopes. "You explain." He glanced at Niou and resumed his search of whatever he was searching.

"Hai, hai… Jeez." Niou balanced his weight on both of his feet once again, hands still in pockets and smirked. "As you know, both Renji's and Inui's birthdays are coming up, so we and Fuji and Co. got together to throw a b-day bash for them. So, we invite you all to it, once Bunta here finds the right invitations that is." He finished and glanced down at his friend.

Oshitari looked interested. "Oh my, so that means that probably most of the tennis teams ex-regulars, from when we were still in middle school, will be there, right?" he glanced at Keigo, but then quickly returned to the two visitors.

"Yeah, something like that. There will probably be some of their other friends that we don't know of, but.. _damn it_! The others should all be from the tennis teams, yeah." Marui huffed and pulled out a couple of invitations, tied together with a red string and gave them to Keigo. "Hope to see you there."

"Thank you." Keigo took the envelopes from Marui and looked at them. "I will free my time for the party, but as for the others…" he looked at the few Hyotei ex-regulars that were here and then back at Marui and Niou, "I cannot be sure about them."

Niou waved his hand in the air, as if saying to 'don't worry'. "Don't sweat it Monkey Lord, if they come they come, if not.. well, too bad, puri." He stuck his tongue out when he spotted the annoyed look Keigo hand and spun on his heel.

"We should be going now." Marui shook his head at Niou's behavior and, after saying his goodbyes, left too, following the silver-haired man out of the Hyotei middle school's territory.

"Now that was interesting." Oshitari peeked at the envelopes in Keigo's hands. "When are they holding that party?" he pulled one of the envelopes out of the small pile and turned it over, so that the name for whom it was meant, could be seen.

Keigo threw Oshitari an annoyed look and pushed the envelopes in the tensai's hands, sliding the one with his name on it in the pack pocket of his pants. He then took another look at the current Hyotei middle school students and the old ones, before heading in the direction of the school building.

"Where are you going, Atobe?" Oshitari asked, even though his voice told that he already had a pretty good idea of Keigo's plans.

The used-to-be captain didn't bother to look back at his friend. "You wanted to know about my meeting with _that guy, _did you not?" he laughed after that.

Oshitari just pushed up his fake glasses and after throwing the envelopes, with invitations in them, to Gakuto, followed the rich man. "You really are one over-confident bastard, aren't you?" Oshitari said after he caught up with Keigo.

"Whatever makes you think that Yuushi? I am only a human, so I cannot be overly-confident all the time. Though, I can sure as hell see that something will happen at that party." Keigo sounded a bit tired as he said that last part.

* * *

Akutsu was annoyed as hell. No really, if he could, he would kill whoever had the decency to freaking deny his precious hours of sleep right now. Even if it was the middle of the day, that didn't mean that it wasn't allowed to enjoy the wonders of air conditioned and quiet apartment.

Well, there was the brat at the other room, but since he was probably sleeping as well, it didn't count.

"Who the fuck is-" Akutsu stopped in mid sentence when he came face to face with Marui after opening his front door. "The hell are _you_ doing here?" he grumpily asked, though he didn't quite manage to hide the surprise in his voice.

Marui smiled and leaned closer to the grumpy man he called his boyfriend. "Don't worry, I won't be here long."

Akutsu sighed and stepped aside, silently asking Marui inside his messy apartment. "That's not what I meant, idiot. I'll just warn you, the brat is still here, so no quickies."

"I didn't come for that, asshole." Marui glared a mock glare and dug out a small piece of paper from the front pocket of his hoodie. "This is for the brat. Give it to him once you can, `k?"

Akutsu didn't have the chance to agree, or maybe refuse, when someone else joined their conversation. "To give me what? By the way, I won't stop you from having your sexy time; just warn me beforehand, please, so that I can leave while I still can." Ryoma got his ponta from the fridge and opened it.

* * *

**A/N: Eeeto… This hasn't been beta-ed yet. I think that my beta is very busy, so I kind of allowed myself to put this up before she has seen it. –is hoping that she will not be scolded later-**

**And I did mention that Marui is Akutsu's boyfriend, did I not? So, it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise, surprise. Right? And, like I said, the updating won't be as often as it was (but it was never that often to begin with though -.-). **

**That is all. Enjoy the summer people! I know I will! :D**

**P.S. ONE MORE WEEK!**


	10. Maybe

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me. :D**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and maybe fights and blood.**

* * *

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Ten: Maybe.**

* * *

"I didn't come for that, asshole." Marui glared a mock glare and dug out a small piece of paper from the front pocket of his hoodie. "This is for the brat. Give it to him once you can, `k?"

Akutsu didn't have the chance to agree, or maybe refuse, when someone else joined their conversation. "To give me what? By the way, I won't stop you from having your sexy time; just warn me beforehand, please, so that I can leave while I still can." Ryoma got his ponta from the fridge and opened it.

"Like I said…" Marui's face flushed and he pointed a finger at Ryoma, who was now busy tying his hair up, thus revealing the pierced ears, "I didn't come here for that!" the red-head yelled and after giving the revealed dragon tattoo a strange look, handed Ryoma the envelope.

Ryoma gave the piece of paper a doubtful look before taking it, giving Marui the same look as before. "Wazzis?" He opened it and took out the small invitation that was in the envelope, not too eager to actually read it though. Ryoma scratched his neck while his eyes lazily went over the text, his pierced lips twisting in distaste and eyebrow furrowing.

"And they seriously think I will go? Yeah, right…" the seventeen year old glared at the paper before throwing it on the table and walking out of the room. He had better things to do than letting those assholes make fun of him like this. And Keigo will probably be there too.

_And why the hell am I thinking about that asshole now? _Ryoma bit his pierced tongue so that didn't have to think about the rich teen. Ever since that night he catches himself imagining those big, warm and strong arms holding down his wrists now and then. It was slowly creeping him out.

"It's not like you have much of a chose Echizen." Marui said while Ryoma still could hear him, "If you go, it means you don't think that you are at fault… But if you don't… You get the point."

Ryoma stopped, but didn't turn around. "What will change if I actually go? They will suddenly receive some god-given enlightenment and figure out who really is the bad guy? Yeah, right, as if. The last thing I want is more shit thrown at me for what I didn't do." Even if the two didn't hear the offence in Ryoma's voice, they knew it was there. As well as hurt and loneliness.

When Ryoma disappeared back in his own room Akutsu turned to his boyfriend. "I will talk to the brat. You'll stay here?" he didn't want to admit it, but he was worried about Ryoma. They were best buddies after all.

"Nah, I have to go back and help the others with the preparations. You'll be coming too, won't you? To the party." Marui asked Akutsu after he had given him a kiss on the cheek.

"I can't make the brat go alone, can I?" Akutsu ruffled the mop of red hair. He watched Marui leave, the foreboding feeling of something bad happening taking over him and hanging in the air. Whatever will happen and whoever will try to take Ryoma down, Akutsu will stand by Ryoma's side and won't leave the brat alone.

He knew how painful it was being alone.

He found Ryoma in the room he had been given, sitting on the bed and looking outside through the window (Or maybe he wasn't. It was hard to tell) with an unreadable expression on his face. His shoulders were tense and the ponta can in his hands was gripped so tightly, it might break any second now.

Akutsu pulled the can out of Ryoma's hands. "I thought you won't let them get to you." It was something that Ryoma had said before coming to Japan for the summer. And it seemed that Ryoma wasn't acting on those words right now.

There was a snort that was supposed to be a rude answer from Ryoma. Akutsu ignored that and sat next to the black wearing teen he called 'best buddy' and waited. At time like these it was better to wait for the younger to start talking himself – he had developed that kind of habit during the years spent in America. Never talk if you are asked to.

"I just don't get it. Why the hell more do they want from me? Am I going around the place spouting shit about them? Am I getting in their way somehow?" Ryoma finally said; his hands were balled up in fists – nails digging into the soft skin of his palms and even drawing blood. "What have I done to deserve all this ridicule and hatred? WHAT?"

Akutsu could see that the teen was doing everything he could not to get up and smash or punch something. The stress and pain that had built up for all this time – it was all too much for one single human being to take up on himself. The last time he had seen (or known) Ryoma cry was on that day that he had found him in that abandoned dressing-room. Though, Ryoma didn't cry even then, but he looked close enough to that stage.

"Tezuka wants to make sure that you don't have the courage to return here. He's the one behind all this." Akutsu calmly said, not bothering to offer words of consolation. They wouldn't help anyway. "But the question is – will you let him do that? And besides, we went over this yesterday."

Ryoma gave Akutsu a look. A look that spoke of so many things and, at the same time, didn't speak at all. It was one the brat's new-found skills. "And what do _you_ think I should do? And I know full well that we went over this yesterday. Shut it and help me." The irritation was back and the some of the old Ryoma too.

"I think you should kick their asses." Akutsu simply said and mock-punched Ryoma on the arm. Even through his long bangs that covered his eyes he could see the brat smirk. It took so little to cheer him up. Honestly.

"Moron." Ryoma snickered and fell back onto his bed/couch. "Let's go and ruin a party then." Since the date was set only three days from now, Ryoma still needed time to figure out just what to wear and how to show them all that he didn't give a flying rat's ass about what they think about him.

That and leather pants (the ones that seemed a bit too tight even on him) wouldn't be a god choice to wear on a hot June day.

"Let's go shopping."

Akutsu groaned in response.

* * *

"So that's what happened, huh?" Oshitari asked while sipping his coffee, looking far too smug for someone who didn't want to get involved in the whole 'Echizen haters' movement (Oshitari had dubbed it 'religion', but Keigo didn't want to be blamed for blasphemy, even if he wasn't a follower of any _real_ religious movements).

"More or less. He made it clear with his body language that he is planning something and that something is nothing good. To Echizen, to be more specific." Keigo didn't really want to tell Oshitari about his meeting with Ryoma - that might cause some severe teasing. "And as you know, I do not believe in that rubbish that Tezuka and the rest of them are spouting."

Oshitari looked rather amused (then again, he always did) when he smirked back at Keigo. "So what are you going to do? Stand on his side?"

"Most probably. I cannot just stand on the sidelines and watch as someone without blame is treated disrespectfully." It was half true and half lies. But Oshitari didn't need to know that, now did he? "And there is also Akutsu and some of the rare specimens that also don not trust Tezuka." He added as a matter of fact.

"You sure you didn't meet Echizen yesterday?" Oshitari is now giving him the serious look, searching for something on his face, "Because you sound like your crush, nurtured for years, has been resurrected quite suddenly." It was that annoying, all-knowing smile that managed to get on Keigo's nerves, that now could be found playing on Oshitari's lips.

He gave his blue-haired coeval a hard look, something that had long ago stopped working on the smiling bastard, and sighed. "Oshitari, you of all people know that nothing could make Echizen give me some sort of sign that it is ok to chase after him. And just so you know – no, I have not met him." Lies, all he was sporting now were lies.

"If you say so. But I still am a bit suspicious." Oshitari returned to his coffee and left that issue alone. "Well, even if they do start something against Echizen at that party, I will first observe and then act. That is my way of doing things." He casted a quick look at the opened envelope.

Keigo ignored that and flipped open his phone. Yet another message had come about yet another deal he had to go to in his father's place. He quickly read through the contents of it, frowning after reading the name of the person he will have to work with and then closed his phone again. Maybe, just maybe, things would get a bit better between him and Ryoma?

"Another business thing that your father is too lazy to do himself? Or it's just a greeting message this time." Oshitari asked, not in the least bit interested in knowing.

"I might get to meet Echizen soon." Keigo lied about 'get to meet soon' thing. Because he already had met the teen. "It seems that his father is my father's good friend and also partner, so he thinks we should be friends too, since, after all, Echizen has come to Japan." He knew that he sounded happy, but right now, Keigo couldn't care less about how many emotions his voce showed.

Oshitari seemed to be truly surprised for a moment. "You don't say? Well, that is good news for you and probably annoying news for the person we are talking about. Still, good luck Atobe. I think you will need it." The blue-haired teen smiled and got up to get back to training with the old and new regulars of Hyotei academy.

* * *

Tezuka was just doing the usual forced grocery shopping parent's made him do at least once a week. And he had to get Inui's and Yagani's birthday presents. Not that they actually needed one, it was just nice to get them one. After all, the thought is what counts. Right?

Everything went just like every other time that Tezuka went out to do shopping. At times he ran into someone who he knew, sometimes even a teacher or two and sometimes he managed to somehow get himself in these situations.

"Jiroh. Yuuta." Tezuka acknowledged the two that were standing in front him, obviously in the middle of a date.

"Tezuka." Fuji Yuuta nodded his head once, not bothering to get Jiroh to do the same. All knew what he thought of Tezuka and the whole Echizen matter. "Weren't you supposed to help the sempais with the preparation?" he wasn't impolite you see, just stiff.

Tezuka thought for a brief moment in favor of ignoring the question along with the asker, but he didn't want a Fuji with a bad mood near him if he were to know of this meeting. "I am not a part of the party makers. Your brother and his _other half_ are."

"I see." Yuuta drawled out and tugged the small ponytail at the base of his neck, an act of nervousness. That was sign that he wasn't feeling too comfortable. "Well then, we will leave you at you shopping, right Jiroh-san?"

Jiroh looked away from whatever he was watching and looked at his boyfriend. "What, what?" his eyes then darted from Yuuta to Tezuka and back, not quite sure of what he should be doing now. But, luckily, for both Yuuta and Tezuka, he wasn't as dense as usual today. "Ah, let's leave. I want to taste those new ice creams in the old shop down the road."

They had just passed by Tezuka, when the bespectacled teen grabbed the usually sleepy boy by the arm and stopped them both. "Akutagawa, do you know if Atobe will be attending the party?" it wasn't like he was interested, he just needed to know in advance, for safety.

And since the chance of getting to know just fell in his hands all on its own…

"Atobe? Who knows? I just know that they were planning on getting Echizen to come, not that he will. But if he were to go that would be so cool, ne, Yuu-chan?" Jiroh's face immediately lit up when he started to talk about the shunned Echizen.

"Ahh.. It sure would." Yuuta agreed, casting a fast glance at Tezuka, as if making sure that the elder won't do anything to them and then smiled at Jiroh. "If he were to go, it would surprise everyone there. Probably."

"Un! It sure as hell would! I just can't wait for the party, just three more days, right? Waahhh, I wanna see everyone _sooooo_ bad!" Jiroh exclaimed suddenly wide awake and hyper just from thinking about it. The people that passed by looked at him strangely, as if he wasn't quite normal.

Tezuka sighed, this one won't tell him anything useful it seems. He bid a quick 'goodbye' and went on with what he was doing. Since the rumor about Echizen was now circulating all over the place there was no doubt that he already knew about the party. Question is – will he come?

_Whatever he does will just destroy what little social life he has left in Japan, so, why should I worry? _Tezuka smirked a tiny smirk to himself, while going over the assortment of various fruits in front of him. _I just hope it will amuse me. If it doesn't, there is always the puppy that follows me around._

* * *

**A/N: Who loves crazy pairings? I do! And I know that all of you like them too. :)**

**Next chapter will be purely the party scenes. And maybe even more. But for now, I will leave at this. **

**P.S. Just two days ago I found out that I have been writing the word "racket" (as in "tennis racket") wrong for the past… something years of my life. I am ashamed. -sadness-**


	11. Seal It With a Kiss

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me. :D**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and maybe fights and blood.**

* * *

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Eleven: Seal It With a Kiss.**

* * *

Akutsu and Ryoma both stood outside of the guest house that was supposed to be the place where the party was held at. There was nothing fancy done with the decorations, not that they thought that there would be any if the first place, and from the looks of it, the whole thing was already happening inside.

Akutsu sighed, obviously annoyed by the whole thing and tugged uncomfortably at the neck of the red, sleeveless, turtleneck shirt he was wearing. Over that shirt he wore a simple black jacket with some spikes sewn to it. He had knee-length black and red checked pants on too, accompanied by a pair of combat boots, left untied. Akutsu had spiked up his hair a bit, letting some of the strands hang loosely in front his face.

In three words – he looked hot. Every girl that they passed looked back at him. And Ryoma caught the attention of both girls and guys.

"Why did I agree to do this shit?" the former, and present, delinquent sighed. He was itching to take a cigarette and light it, the need of nicotine already kicking in.

Ryoma smirked back at him, those golden eyes gleaming from under the black trilby on his head. "Because you love me and I am too cute to resist." There was this snarky-ish, bratty-ish undertone when Ryoma said that.

Though, when the teen then looked at the guest house again his confident smirk disappeared. Ryoma really didn't want to go in. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his new light purple, baggy pants that were a bit too big for his size, but the leather belt kept them in their place, riding low on his hips. On top he wore a simple black dress-shirt, whose sleeves went to his elbows and hid his tattoo, together with a dark purple tie. He had chosen to wear red Mita sneakers to go with all of that too.

Instead of the usual black colored piercings, Ryoma had put two small purple ones in his lips, so that they would go together with his color themes today. And, even if it couldn't be seen at the moment, he also had changed his earring to simple hoops.

"As if." Akutsu growled and then patted Ryoma on the back, "Let's go; the sooner we go there, the sooner we get to wreck chaos." There was this playful tone in Akutsu's voice that made Ryoma blink for a few times.

"You just want to do it with Marui, don't you?" Ryoma snickered and followed his best friend. Sometimes, even Akutsu could act cute. If he wanted to.

There was a glare sent Ryoma's way and a curt 'shut it' followed it.

When they had gotten to the door, the said object was thrown open at the overly-happy face of one Akutagawa Jiroh suddenly was the only thing that both Ryoma and Akutsu cold see. The three of them stood like that for a moment before Jiroh grabbed Ryoma by his hands.

"Oh my god, you actually came! That is so awesome! I saw you two through the second floor window and thought that I should come down and pull you two inside." Jiroh talked and talked, the words came out of his mouth in such speed that it was almost impossible to follow. "And you know what, there are people that _reaaaallyyyy _want to see you up there!"

Before either of the two could say something Ryoma was yanked inside, Akutsu following the two since he was worried about Ryoma's safety. The music was blasting from one of the rooms where most of the people were, and those who weren't in that room stood and stared as Jiroh dragged Ryoma through the place. Some were shocked to see him there, some even happy and some.. Some looked like they wanted to kill.

"Oi, hyper dude, mind letting him go?" Akutsu finally said when Ryoma almost tumbled over a chair because of Jiroh. Even if he tried to hide it, it was pissing him off to see Ryoma being dragged around like that, as if he was a piece of furniture – there only for the sole purpose of showing off.

"Thanks Jin." Ryoma murmured when he was standing on his own two feet again. He really didn't care what Jiroh was thinking right now, he wasn't about to just get friendly with people from here as if nothing ever happened.

"Gomen Echizen. I was just _sooo excited _to see you! Anyway, come here, come here!" Jiroh continued to talk as if nothing ever happened. "Yuu-can and Marui-san and Shishido are up there, as well as Sengoku and the one that mutters all the time. You know what, they all soooo want to see you again! And some people want to ask you stuff too!"

The two newcomers looked at Jiroh suspiciously. There was no way that someone who was just told off would be so happy about it. And then what kind of 'ask stuff' and 'people' was he talking about anyway? Though, both Ryoma and Akutsu had an idea what those questions would be about. Most likely about the Nationals and Seigaku.

It was also the reason that Ryoma was invited too. That and the need to destroy him even more.

"So you actually came, Echizen. I thought that you won't be showing up, since, after all, people don't like you very much." The sweet tone that could only belong to Fuji made the three turn around. "And here I was thinking that you will have other, more _important_, things to do."

Fuji was now looking directly at Ryoma, a small line of electric blue glinting in ice cold disgust towards the person he was speaking to. The smile that was usually on his face had turned a tad more dangerous, but not as much that the people around them would notice.

Ryoma didn't even flinch or shiver. He smirked, a shadow of what he once could do so naturally, and pushed his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Hello to you too, Fuji-_sempai_. I freed my time since," he pulled out the invitation, "someone really wanted me to come, if he went as far as to make this. No? And how could I just ignore it – that would be so rude."

Akutsu heh'd in approval. Even if the brat was having so many problems right now, he could still act like this – as if he didn't give a flying rat's ass about it all. Sometimes, the ability to create a fake mask for himself really did come in handy. Not that Akutsu was happy about his best buddy having to live in so many lies and having to create a different self each time something happened.

"Is that so? Well, I hope you will have a _great_ time. Inui and some of the other's are out now, playing games." Fuji turned to leave, "It would be nice if you congratulated the two birthday boys." Then he started to go away and look for his boy-toy.

"Fuji-sempai," Ryoma called out, making Fuji stop in his tracks, "Didn't you come to make me a laughing stock? Or maybe you want to do something else?"

Ryoma wasn't as big of an idiot that they were making him to be. Hell, even people that knew the story (or at least some details) but weren't a part of it could tell that this was all just a big plan to make Ryoma even more miserable and hated. And Ryoma wasn't about to let them do that.

Even if they had exchanged only some words there already were people gathering around them now. The ex players from Rikkai, Hyotei, Seigaku and other schools were there, some from the far places of Osaka and even from other countries. But Ryoma couldn't care less about them being here – if Fuji wanted to fuck up his life even more then he will give the damn asshole a chance to do it.

"Excuse me? Could you repeat that again, Echizen? I didn't quite catch what you just said." Fuji turned to face Ryoma, his eyes now half-lidded, the blue burning with anger that could destroy. To be toying with Fuji…

Ryoma tilted his head on the left a bit, "Oh please, everyone knows why you made sure I get invited. Don't play dumb now." His voice dropped an octave and became almost just as cold as Fuji's voice was. Almost.

The tensai was quiet for a little while, oblivious to the quiet sea of whispers around them and the curious glances sent their way. That little bastard was slowly ruining his and Tezuka's plans and for that he will pay. Dearly.

Fuji smirked, his smile no longer innocently false and kind. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at Ryoma, hard. Then, he opened his mouth a little, after throwing a quick glance in the direction of his little brother that was in the crowd, and was about to retort… Only, someone did it for him.

"You got invited because we hoped that there is still some way to get you to apologize for what you did to us." The tone of the speaker, the way that he managed to silence everyone and gain absolute obedience… Only Tezuka could do that.

Ryoma quickly turned his eyes away from Fuji and pointed a glare at Tezuka. The man that had planned all this fiasco and made sure that Japan, that Ryoma once loved so much, became a place he never wanted return to. His jaw clenched in effort not to throw something insulting at the bespectacled man, his fingers balling up into fists.

"Echizen has nothing to apologize about. Especially not to _you_, Tezuka-san." Yuuta was the one to break the silence around them, standing on Ryoma's side without even batting an eye. "_You_ should be the one to _beg_ for forgiveness." The youngest Fuji had come out of the crowd and stood next to Jiroh, his lover, and Ryoma. A silent reassurance that Ryoma isn't alone.

Akutsu smirked, _That brat sure has guts. _Maybe there were some normal people left.

"Yuuta! We have been over this already." Fuji sounded impatient and slightly annoyed now, "Echizen used _us_ and our _abilities _as tennis players and -"

Yuuta didn't let his brother finish: "And I say that is bullshit, nii-san. The ones who used and stole were you all, not Echizen. He isn't the kind to need the moves of others; he has... _had_, plenty of his own." Yuuta glared at his brother. The Fuji blood in him was enough to not fear the elder Fuji, and even without it – Yuuta was someone who stood on the side of the one that was being blamed.

No matter what the circumstances.

"Why do you protest against the truth so much, Yuuta?" Tezuka asked, not at all supraised or taken aback by the bold declaration of lies that happened few seconds prior. "It seems as you are connected with Echizen in a way that surpasses friendship." It was as if he had told that Yuuta is sleeping with Ryoma.

That pissed Ryoma of even more than the crap they were spouting about him. "Take that back, Tezuka. Not everyone will believe you and your shit, and that is no reason to make their lives as crappy as you made mine." The golden-eyed teen hissed out.

Ryoma could feel the many eyes that were watching him. But he couldn't care less; right now he had to deal with Tezuka. "If you have to diss someone then diss me, you are already an expert at that, but leave other out of this."

The tension and hostile emotions were so vivid in the room; it felt like someone was choking him. Akutsu glanced at his friend and Tezuka, not sure when would be the right time to join. Though, he felt that for this battle it would be better if he stayed as an emotional support to Ryoma and kept his mouth shut. Ryoma had to win this one alone, for the sake of himself.

"My, my… What is going on here?" Yukimura's pleased voice questioned, although he knew perfectly well what was going on. "Ara, ara, Echizen-kun. How nice of you to show up. I was hoping to talk to you about something." Yukimura ignored everything that went on around him.

Sanada, standing by his side, glared down on the golden-eyed teen and then switched to Akutsu. "Your clothes… they are inappropriate for occasions such as this." He said. He ignored the look Yukimura gave him.

"Why? Did this party have a dress code or something?" Akutsu could finally be a part of the whole verbal war that was going on, "Or maybe you simply don't like to get hard at seeing this brat here?" he nodded in Ryoma's direction. He had seen what Ryoma could do to guys that are even straighter than a wooden plank; Sanada was a piece of cake in this case.

He already was fucking around with a man anyway.

The way that Sanada looked down on him then… If looks could kill Akutsu would have died trice and would now be burning in the deepest pits of hell. "Insolent…!" Sanada hissed, but refrained from doing anything, "Just because you can do anything that moves does not mean that every other male is the same."

"Says the guy that serves as a portable sex toy for the four-eyes over there." Akutsu threw back at the black-haired man and slung his hand over Ryoma's shoulders. "As for me.. Bu-chan is enough." The smirk he wore was one that showed that he had won.

"I would ask you to not do wild guesses about my sexual life, Akutsu." Tezuka coldly said, throwing a quick glance at Sanada, "It seems that it would be better for you to leave. _All of you._" It was clear that Tezuka was talking about those that stood by Ryoma and the teen himself.

But Ryoma won't take this shit lying down. He came to show Tezuka just with who he was messing now. "Oh really? Well then, since I have to leave anyway, why don't I just leave a small s_ouvenir _behind?" the smirk that he wore now could be called deadly, "Lookie here!"

Tezuka's eyes widened, just like Fuji's when they saw the small piece of paper that Ryoma waved in the air. The same note that they had placed on Ryoma's stuff to make him understand just how unwanted he actually was. If that note were to be shown to people…

"Oh, don't worry." Ryoma added, "I won't show it to anyone. Yet. I just wanted to let you know that _I can play your way too_." He smirked and hid the small piece of paper in the pocket of his pants again.

"You wouldn't dare." Tezuka retorted back, his earlier coldness and superiority back again, "With that you lose everything. Besides, they will just think that you made it." Tezuka smirked inwardly. For people to doubt _him_ – the model child and good captain… As if.

Ryoma lazily blinked. "You forgot that I have nothing to lose. And they chose to believe in what they want to believe. I don't make them, unlike you." Ryoma nudged Akutsu, a sign that they should leave now, or at least go somewhere where there was no Tezuka and bastards like him.

"Echizen-kun, what are you two talking about?" Yukimura lightly inquired. He was one of the few that were on neither side. "If you don't mind, I would like to know… Just like some of the others here." It was a lightly said order.

"You do not need to know Yukimura." Tezuka answered him back, "It's just something he tries to use to show me as the bad guy." The bespectacled teen glanced Ryoma's way and then pushed up his glasses a little. "It is nothing more than a weak try to get others to pity him."

The new wave of murmur around them made Ryoma flinch. The way that Tezuka could turn everything in his advantage… It sickened Ryoma to think that there was once a time when he looked up at that asshole and even wished to stand on equal ground with him. He was such a fool.

Yuuta no longer could stand there and be quiet: "Oh shut up Tezuka. Don't try to make yourself all white and innocent. Everyone knows what you are capable of doing and just how much you are willing to sacrifice to do it." He had seen the pang of hurt and pain in Ryoma's eyes for a split second. It was all he needed to know to know for sure that the boy was being blamed for things he didn't do.

"Yuu-chan's right, you know." This time it was Jiroh that surprised everyone by suddenly talking, "Echizen-kun was never the kind to use others… the kid was just too pure and oblivious for that." The usually happy-go-lucky tone that he used and the carefree manner he spoke was gone. It was probably the first time that someone had seen the boy so serious. "Besides, he would have been freaking famous by now, if he _really did_ steal all those moves and whatnot, like you insist all the time."

"He has a point." Yukimura added, smiling lightly at Tezuka and then Fuji.

There was a flash of blue sent in Jiroh's way before Fuji said: "You should really stay out of what does not concern you, _Jiroh-kun_." It was said so lightly that most of the people in the room didn't hear the quiet threat underneath those words.

"It's not nice to threaten, Fuji-sempai." Ryoma threw back to the fair-haired male, "Especially when you won't be able to back it up." The courage and little snippets of ridicule where fake. Ryoma merely wanted to seem stronger than he was.

Ryoma could feel Akutsu's eyes glaring into the back on his head. The elder teen knew what game Ryoma was playing using those charades and masks of toughness that weren't real. Akutsu knew that even if Ryoma feels like crying and running away inside, he will never show weakness in front of others. That much he had learned from the pain and betrayal he had to go through.

"So you think that what I said were mere empty words, Echizen?" Fuji asked back, his voice deadly sweet and the smile no longer playing on his lips. The choking gaze of his electric blue eyes seemed to freeze the room. "Big talk from someone who doesn't get his place."

"You do realize that you are only humiliating yourself, Echizen?" Tezuka nonchalantly added, not bothering to wait for Fuji to finish whatever else he wanted to say, "Though, I don't mind watching you dig your own grave. It's actually quite…. _Amusing_." Tezuka's real personality had started to show and the man himself didn't bother to hide it.

Akutsu tensed up, just like Sanada did, but both for different reasons.

For Akutsu - the sheer disrespect and the ridicule that the ex captain of Seigaku showed towards his friend just made his feelings to go overboard. He saw red, and lots of it. The want to give the man a good punch in the face and other parts of his body was so great… His fists shook in weak tries to control that desire. He could feel the warm, soft hands of his boyfriend wrap around his left fist and holding it tightly.

"He's not worth it Jin. He's not worth your hits." Marui quietly whispered to the silver-haired man, hoping to calm him down just a little bit. He didn't like to hear all those things said about Ryoma either, but he knew that Akutsu took most of it personally. "He's not worth it."

Sanada, though, tensed up because of the coldness and authority that Tezuka seemed to be enveloped in. The cold gaze and the way he stood there, as if he was the king of them all.. This was when Tezuka was the sexiest. Sanada wanted to go over there and kiss those lips, having those cold eyes watch his every move. But he knew that this wasn't the place for that.

"So you say Tezuka, but are you not the one that is throwing all his hard work away, aaanh?" yet another late guest questioned, successfully getting everyone's attention.

Tezuka had to turn around to see who it was, Momoshiro, who had been quietly standing right behind him all this time, quickly moved out of the way, so that Tezuka could see.

There was a small pause before Tezuka acknowledged the newly arrived guest. "Atobe. I was told you won't make it." He pushed up his glasses, "And aren't you a bit mistaken about that?"

Keigo smirked in return, walking away from the wall he was leaning on just seconds before. He passed by Tezuka in his leisurely walk. "Believe me, Tezuka; I am most surely not mistaken." It was as if he was stating the obvious, though, Keigo always sounded like that.

The diva walked straight to where Ryoma and the four people that were on his side stood, and stopped when he was right in front of the golden-eyed enigma. His smirk widened before he grabbed Ryoma's hand and pulled the younger to his chest, wrapping his right hand around Ryoma's small waist, his left hand Holding Ryoma's right hand up. The hat that Ryoma was wearing fell on the floor in the process.

"You see…" Keigo drawled out, ignoring the surprised gasps and the scratches on his chest that Ryoma made when his free hand clutched into his dark blue dress shirt, "I would never stand against my own lover, now would I? That would only serve to dirty my own name."

"I'm sorry, Atobe, but I highly doubt the fact that you are going out with _that_." Fuji stated, not in the last surprised about the whole situation. "You may have had a crush on him, but for Echizen to agree to go out with you… Moreover, you haven't seen each other for five years. Everything you just said is mad up."

Tezuka almost sighed. "You know, just because he probably paid you to play his lover, does not mean you have to agree. That just dirties you're your_ name _even more." The sheer lack of trust in Keigo's words was clears as a day.

Keigo wasn't one to surrender to such petty accusations; their truthfulness and realness did not matter. Atobes were raised to conquer and never back down. So, Keigo only 'heh'd before letting go of Ryoma's right arm, only to use his free hand to lift the smaller male's chin up a bit.

He also ignored everything that Tezuka had said.

"Seal it with a kiss, is what we should do." He muttered against Ryoma's lips before leaning down and placing his own on top of them.

* * *

**A/N: This… turned out waaaaaay longer that I had planned. And it should have been put up a week ago (but Harry Potter happened). Somehow, I am so damn proud of myself right now. :D**

**Tell me what you think of all of this. Please? **


	12. I Kind Of Love You

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me. :D**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and **_**maybe**_** fights and blood.**

* * *

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Twelve: I Kind Of Love You.**

* * *

He didn't know what was happening anymore.

Ryoma's mind had stopped working the moment Keigo's, a man's, lips had settled on top of his own, planting a warm and gentle kiss on them. For whatever reason, he was being kissed right now. In front of all these people, in front of those that loathed him and tried to make his life in Japan miserable… he was being kissed in front of all of them.

Questions like 'why?', 'what is going on?', 'is that really Keigo?' and 'why me?' ran around his head. Ryoma wasn't sure what had happened, he wasn't sure if that was even for real. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move his hands to push Keigo off of him, away.

But his hands didn't move. And he didn't even hate it. He liked it, even. Why? He didn't like men; at least that was what he had thought until now. So why, why couldn't he hate Keigo for doing this? Why couldn't he break free from the light hold that Keigo had on him.

Something that had been sleeping inside of him woke up. A feeling he couldn't name. A feeling that felt so foreign to Ryoma.

The golden, widened eyes looked into the half-lidded, dark blue ones. A silent plea passed thought them, but Keigo only tightened his hold on Ryoma's waist. For whatever reason he was doing this, he will do it until the end, it seemed.

When they broke free, the rich diva smirked and glanced at Tezuka from the corner of his eye. "Tezuka, I have more money than I need and even if he paid me with his body, I would not step as low as accept one's offers of whoring oneself out." He smirked, "Like I said already, he is my lover."

Keigo brought Ryoma closer to himself, the younger stumbling a bit and falling into Keigo's chest, face hidden from the curious glances that were on him. Somehow, Ryoma was thankful that Keigo pulled him so close, but, at the same time, he didn't like it, being so close to someone that was lying about their relationship without his agreement. Without thinking about Ryoma's feelings.

"Bullshit." Momo said, walking out from behind Tezuka. "He hasn't been in Japan for over five years and has been here for what, two weeks? There is _no_ way that you have become so close." He pointed at Ryoma, eyes burning with hate towards the male that he used to call his 'best friend' once. "He rejected you, I _know_. I _heard_. "

Ryoma's fingers reflexively clutched onto Keigo's light purple dress shirt. He was well aware that Momo had never thought of him the way that he did for the elder, but… It still hurt to hear those things said about him.

And then, he had told Momo himself. All about Keigo confessing and him rejecting the elder, he had told him all, thinking that he is his friend. Someone he was able to trust without any shred of doubt.

"Who said that we started to date in the last two weeks, or those five years, haah?" there was some sort of eerie amusement in Keigo's voice when he said that. Ryoma could fell the rich man's chest vibrating as he laughed under his cheek. "Even before all this… we were one already. I confessed again, before the Nationals started and this time, I was awarded with fruits of success."

Another silence filled the room.

Akutsu tried to move forward, already opening his mouth to protests to all this madness, when Marui's hand covered it. The delinquent glared at his boy toy, but not with hate. Confusion was coloring his eyes. The red-head merely shook his head and silently begged for his boyfriend to calm down.

"Lies." Fuji hissed, even if he did that very rarely. "Echizen was too dense to realize what affection and love even is. And to think that you are trying to make us believe in that…. Just look at him! He's just as confused as we are." The blue-eyed tensai waved his hand in Ryoma's direction and turned half-way to face Tezuka.

"I just wasn't informed that he will be doing this." Ryoma pushed himself off from Keigo's chest and faced the crowd, his emotions and fear and confusion sealed away for the time being, a fake, trained smirk on his lips, "You would have been surprised too, if your _lover_ would suddenly do this…. Even after insisting on keeping this all a secret for all this time." He bent down to pick up his hat, placing it back on his head and tilting it a bit on the side.

Keigo widened his smirk. "So he says."

Yukimura, looking really amused right now, clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, alright. This isn't the right place for this. Although, I would not mind knowing the full story behind all of this mess." He smiled, as if saying that this situation was something so usual, that it wasn't worth the attention it was getting right now.

"But, Yukimura…" Sanada scowled, throwing a quick glance at Tezuka, "This needs to be resolved at some…" he didn't get to finish what he wanted to say, one look from his best friend shut him up.

"There are better places and a better timing for these lowly fights where _certain people_ only know how to play dirty." Yukimura smiled at Tezuka and then faced Keigo, "I hope you understand what I mean by that, Atobe?"

The two, the Child of God and the King, had become quite good friends over those years, both ending in the same learning facilities and finding the same interests, besides tennis, in common after the first few talks during lesson time. Also, both refused to believe the rumors and facts that were flying around about the whole Nationals incident, choosing to stay and watch from the sidelines first. But Yukimura knew all along that Keigo would stand by Ryoma, no matter what the truth may be. His feelings wouldn't let him do the other way around.

Keigo placed some of the loose strands of his hair behind his ear and then grabbed Ryoma by his left wrist. "But of course, Yukimura. Let us meet sometime soon again, in a more… _Civilized_ situation. I shall bring Ryoma with me, so that he could be a part of our conversation."

"Like I said, I would like to hear more about the situation, but not here." The blue-haired man now allowed his eyes to settle on Ryoma, trying to send the other something though look alone.

The young male didn't have the time to answer with anything to Yukimura, his hand was pulled, making him follow Keigo out of the room and the small circle of people that had gathered around them, to watch the whole thing progress and turn into a verbal fight. Or maybe even more than that.

Ryoma was glad; he will get out of here now. Finally.

Akutsu could feel Marui clinging to his arm and sighed. "We're going too. The ass in the glasses and all his puppy dogs – next time, I will bash your faces in. And I won't give a fuck about the consequences." He glared at Tezuka, not caring about the murderous look that was directed at him from Momoshiro.

He wrapped his right arm around Marui's shoulders and started to steer the red-head away from the bunch of lying pack of wolves that only knew how to use people for their own good. Akutsu did wave his farewells to those few that actually thought with their own head and brain, the few people that weren't brainwashed by Tezuka's goody-two-shoes act.

"He won't be showing up tomorrow." Akutsu reminded Yukimura as matter of fact, nodding at Marui with his head, and then flipped off Tezuka. Just because.

Yukimura merely smiled back and titled his head on one side. "Yes, I already thought he wouldn't. Have a good night then." He then turned to face Sanada, "We will have to talk, Genichirou. Later."

* * *

"What the hell did you do? _Why_ the hell did you do that?" Ryoma quietly asked Keigo. His head was bent back against the headrest, face covered with his cold, sweaty palms. "Why the hell did you fucking did that? And why the hell did I even play along?" it was as if, he was close to crying.

"I got you out of there, did I not?" Keigo shot back at the man that was in his car's passenger's seat, "Now, they will not have all the freedom to act the way they want to." as he said that, Keigo made the car turn and then drive faster.

There was a sound that weakly resembled a laugh that came out of Ryoma's mouth. "Freedom.. act… Bullshit. They will do even more crap now! Because, after all, I seem to be sleeping with _you_ now!" The last part Ryoma half-yelled and flailed his hand in his "lover's" direction.

"So? For your information, not all have this magnificent chance to say that they do." The rich man merely smirked back and drove past the other drivers on the road. He never did like to follow all the traffic rules anyway.

The other didn't reply to that, only silence was left as an answer to Keigo, something that could be interpreted in so many different ways and possibilities. An answer, that wasn't really an answer at all. For everything that had happened, silence wasn't the best of choices, too much could be misunderstood and not said.

"I don't need more people coming after me because you felt like toying with me a little." The golden-eyed man finally quietly said, his eyes wide and the pupils shrunken a little, making him look mad, "Just because I turned you down that…."

"It's not because of that!" the purple-haired man interrupted Ryoma, suddenly stopping the car at the side of the road. The honking of other drivers made this annoying ringing in his ears worsen, his knuckles turning white while his fingers clutched around the steering wheel. "I would _never _use such method just to-"

"Bullshit, Atobe!" Ryoma no longer tried to control all the emotions raging inside of him, they had just suddenly taken over his whole being, clouded his mind and started to rampage over all those painful memories that tied him to this country and these people. "I rejected you! I was the one that broke your heart then, we both know it too damn well! And besides that, what could you get by helping _me_, of all people!" Ryoma's breath came out in short puffs, hands shaking so hard it was impossible to hide it now, "I'm just an asshole that doesn't deserve your help…." He finally quietly said.

There was this expression on Keigo's face for a second, Ryoma couldn't quiet name it, since so much was now show on the elder's face. It was like a puzzle – so many pieces from everything thrown together and now trying to find their rightful place on the board.

But one Ryoma knew for sure – the man sitting in front of him had a wound as painful and fresh as his own.

Keigo took a shaky breath and calmed himself down. "I could never do that to you, even if it still hurts. I am not such a.. Such a low life that would use you in your most painful moment and then just laugh at your suffering. I am not like _them_!" he reached forward to cup Ryoma's face in his hands, but the younger male flinched away from the warm fingers that had just stroked his skin, "I love you. Even after all this time, I still cannot let you go, Echizen."

Ryoma tried to get away from the hands that were slowly being placed on his cheeks. It was the first time in such a long time that he had felt human warmth, kind human warmth on his skin. Not the kind that Akutsu could give or his parents were able to send him. It was human warmth of someone who loved him, who thought of him in a way that made his body remember the betrayal it once had experienced. Ryoma' mind shouted for an escape from this, for an escape from Keigo.

From the suffering that might follow.

"Don't run anymore, Ryoma. I will protect you; make sure nothing happens to you. I will make you forget about everything." Keigo whispered as his palms were finally cupping Ryoma's cold face in them. He smiled a weak smile when Ryoma's fingers shakily touched his own.

The tears that had been held in for so long started to slide down Ryoma's pale face as he tried to calm down. "I… I don't know what I feel towards you, just like before. I don't know. But, I… I trust you, at least. I…" Ryoma weakly held on to Keigo's warm fingers on his face, "I don't deserve your love, I am not who you need…"

"Fool." A laugh followed after that word out of Keigo's mouth, "We do not chose whether one is worthy of our love or not. We just love, purely and simply – love. There is nothing more to it. The past, the present and even the future doesn't count." He, Keigo, pulled Ryoma a bit closer to himself, "Thank you, for trusting me."

Ryoma closed his eyes when Keigo leaned closer to him. He could feel the warm lips once again descending on his own, but this time, the warmth slowly spread from that one spot to over his whole body. Slowly, it started to tingle in his fingertips and the salty taste from his tears disappeared. It was like, only he and Keigo were left in this world, all alone and safe.

Just them.

It was the second kiss that they shared that day. It was more real and more… kiss-like. It was special this time, not a way to spite those that were around them, not a way to get the other to be his. It was kiss to show the affections that were between the two, the feelings that had long ago started to spin invisible red strings of fate between them.

Keigo pulled back from Ryoma, his blue eyes searching Ryoma's face for something, anything.

"I… I don't like you, Keigo. Not like that. Not yet." Ryoma said, his hands falling down next to his sides, "But, I feel something for you, I just don't know what. I…." Ryoma got mixed up in his own words. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it meant that Ryoma was having a hard time getting his head over everything that was happening.

Keigo smiled, it wasn't a smirk like he would have done if it were any other person in front of him. But this was Ryoma, the boy he had loved since the times he was in middle school, since that one match on the training camp. "That just means, that I am halfway there already." He simply said.

"Shut up." The shorter mumbled and wiped away the tears that still were lingering on his face, "Take your hands off, they're in the way." There was a weak blush painting his cheeks when he said that.

The purple-haired man removed his hands, but instead, leaned his face close to Ryoma's again. "Just one more time. To make sure." After those words, he kissed the blushing man again, this time deepening the kiss more.

It was the start of something magical for hose two.

* * *

**A/N: next chapter will have more action. Action. More of it. :D**

**I… I am so sorry for not being so active anymore. I have school and I have to get my driver's license now too, so… Too much to do and no time to do it. (x.x) But, I will try to update lots - all my stories and maybe even make a oneshot or two if I get ideas.**

**Thank you for all the Ryoma/Keigo love and Tezuka hate that you left! I felt warm and fuzzy while reading that you love my creation! I love you people! O**

**P.S. Do you want an Akutsu/Marui sex scene in the next chapter? I was thinking about it, but I am worried that it will scare you people. .**

**And, is it 'older's' or 'elder's'? I never quite got this. My spell-check says 'elder's', what about you?**

**I am still sorry about the lateness and stuff… And the randomness too. And shortness and everything else that there is to it.  
**


	13. Mine

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me. :D**

**Warning: Grammar/spelling mistakes, missing words/letters. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Possible yaoi in the future, bad language and **_**maybe**_** fights and blood. **

**There will be gay porn in this chapter, as well as a very angst-y A/N at the end of it. **

**Bold for English.**

**Special thanks to my husband, for helping me in writing this.**

* * *

**I Cry For The Last Time**

**Chapter Thirteen: Mine.**

* * *

He didn't go back to Akutsu's apartment. After jumping out of Keigo's car, while it waited for the traffic light signals to change, he ran away into the city. He didn't know where he was, where was he going, he knew nothing.

Ryoma just knew that he had to run. Run so fast that his lungs start to burn and breath cuts short.

So now he was sitting in some park, God knows where, and looking up at the velvet black sky, marred with small specks of the weakly glowing stars. They were barely managing to keep their light seen, the never sleeping city lights killed them like some powerless bugs on the window.

It was a sad sight.

Ryoma sighed. The nightly wind, a tad bit cooler than he had wanted to, licked his sweaty face. The small shivers that ran over his body felt so foreign right now. He looked away from the dull stars, his eyes now looking into the far, not really seeing anything.

"Well fuck." A small whisper rolled past his lips, quickly disappearing into the nightly city. "What the hell do I do now?"

He covered his face with his hands, cold and sweaty from the running, letting the darkness cover his sight, only the bright, colorful circles dancing behind his eyelids were left to see. Just one damn day, not even a day actually, a few hours was enough to make his world turn upside down again. To see all of them again, to hear some of them stand up and keep him from falling…

To see how those that he knew still trusted in his innocence. Ryoma wasn't ready for that, he never even imagined that there could be other, apart from Akutsu, that actually believed in _his _truth, the real truth.

But then there was Keigo.

Atobe Keigo.

The man he rejected before. The man that still loves him, even after what had happened. The man that saved him today. The man that could have everything in the world.. But chose Ryoma instead.

"Damn him, damn him, damn him!" he jelled out in frustration, the screams somewhat muffled by his own palms. He gritted his teeth and then faced the velvet black sky again. "Why can't it be simple?"

Ryoma let his head rest on the wooden backrest of the bench. The teen didn't know what he wanted to do now, where he wanted to go. He simply stared up and into the distance, wondering about the closeness of the stars.

That was all that Ryoma could do now – shut everything out.

* * *

"Goddamn it!" Akutsu kicked the door to his apartment open and walked inside, not bothering to close the door. Marui came after him anyway. "All those fuckers that… And he isn't better, that damn brat! He just took off with that rich prick, after playing along with him and…! Fuck this shit." He plopped down on the couch, his fingers already reaching after the cigarette pack that was lying, forgotten on the table.

Marui stopped his hand, taking it between his own two. "Atobe helped Echizen to get out of that situation, you know that." The red-head sat in his lover's lap and held Akutsu's hands close to his mouth, the warm breath slowly licking the ends of those cold fingertips as he spoke. "He may be a rich ass, but he actually has fallen head over heels for that brat of yours. We all know that."

"What do you mean by 'my brat', haah?" Akutsu licked his lips, smirking up to his boy toy. He tangled the fingers of his free hand into the red tresses, making the man on top of him close his eyes in delight. "Tell me, Bunta."

The red-head shivered a bit, before answering. "You act like his mom." Then the purple eyes glinted in mischief, "Then, am I his papa?" he leaned down and licked Akutsu's cheek. He watched those already feral yellow eyes darken with lust, a playful smirk forming on his lips.

"Who's a mama?" The white-haired man growled and pulled his companion down for a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss.

The saliva mixed between their mouths, some even slid along Marui's chin, dripping on the clothes that rustled with their every move. When they broke apart only a second was given for a new take of breath, before their lips smashed together again, this time, for a deeper and more animalistic kiss than the before. It was all tongues and saliva, biting and licking and moans, eaten by the hunger of the other. Like animals, wanting more body contact and less romance.

Akutsu's hands started to wonder around Marui's lithe body, under his shirt and across the warm flesh that trembled under those cold fingers. More moans fell into Akutsu's mouth. The nineteen year old red-head pulled away to let a gasp fill the air; Akutsu was rubbing and pinching his nipples, long since hard and perked up, waiting for what is to come.

"Ngh, just… uhh.. do it already." Marui whined, his nails digging into his partner's back though the shirt. He wasn't a patient and docile uke, oh no. He was the demanding type, the one that wants it all and right now. "I want you." He licked Akutsu's ear, rubbing his groin against his man's as he did that.

The white-haired wild man pulled the other away from himself by pulling the red, soft tresses, "You are fucking demanding." But it wasn't like he didn't enjoy it. He loved the bitchy, demanding partners that didn't just nod their heads and do what they are told. "God I love you." He breathed out before engaging another kiss between them.

Marui was the one that lifted himself up a bit, to pull down the annoying articles of clothing that were getting in the way. He slipped off his pants and underwear just enough, so that Akutsu could get an easy access to his already twitching hole. His member was already hard and the pre-cum was starting to gather at the tip. Marui's shirt was now pushed up his chest, exposing the perked up, light pink nipples. His body trembled with the need, the want of Akutsu inside him again.

"Get on it, Jin." The red-head breathed out, his hands already massaging the obvious bulge in Akutsu's pants. "I want you… haha.. in me." He opened the zipper and pulled down the boxers, wrapping his fingers around the swollen dick.

Akutsu growled low in his throat and smirked, "You are such a perv." He yanked Marui's head up just when he was about to open his mouth to take the large member in his mouth. "You like it rough, don't you?"

The red-head smirked, licking his lips, "Don't we both?"

That was what brought them together. A sweet rush of blood that comes with rough and painful sex, the way that sweaty bodies rub against each other, making that sweet friction even more enjoyable and addicting; it started with that. Love was never in there. Just plain physical addiction to the others body.

Love came later. Much, much later.

"Hurry, do me." A rushed whisper filled the already stuffy air in the apartment, along with pants and random moans that broke their way out of Marui's mouth whenever Akutsu's fingers brushed past his most sensitive spots. "Hurry."

"Fine, fine. But don't blame _me_ if you can't walk tomorrow." The beast laughed an amused laugh, while directing his boy toy's body right above his waiting penis.

The rush of feelings, the anticipation of the pleasure that will soon wash over their bodies, blurring their sight and senses was what they wanted from this. The very peak of the orgasm that was yet to come.

The raw yell, both from pain and the nerve tickling pleasure that came from that pain, that tore its way out of Marui's mouth, when he was pushed down on Akutsu's dick, turned Akutsu on, even more than the quivering flash that was in his arms.

The delinquent wasn't a sadist per se. He just had a thing for partners that cried during sexual activity and yet still demanded for more.

Marui didn't wait for his body to get used to the foreign, and yet oh so familiar, feeling and brought himself up, nails digging into Akutsu's shoulders. Then, when his boyfriend was almost out of him, Marui brought himself down again, making the hard penis go as deep as it could inside of him, hitting that one particular spot that made his sight go white. He repeated this action, with Akutsu's hand working on his front in the same peace that he used for bouncing up and down, many times.

"Don't clamp down on me so hard, it's tight." The seme huffed out, although his voice told of the utmost pleasure that that certain action brought him right now. It was like he was saying that just to fluster Marui a tad bit.

The red-head breathed out a heavy moan, hardly keeping up with the peace that he had set up himself. "Shut up.. I'm almost… aahh… mgh… there. Haa…" he quickened the rhythm, the sweaty red locks danced around his face and he shut his eyes tight.

Akutsu watched the hungry expression that had settled on the usually competitive face of his boyfriend. He licked his dry lips, tasting the salty taste of his own sweat that rolled down his skin. He grabbed those small hips and brought the small body down on himself without a warning, earning another raw yell from the other.

He felt the already tight, velvet heat enveloping him in an even tighter heat, squeezing everything out of him, demanding for more and more of his seed and being. Marui came too, his white seed now all over Akutsu's shirt, slowly soaking into the cloth.

Those cloudy purple eyes finally cleared up and landed on Akutsu. There was a moment of silence between them, only the rigid breathing shattered the otherwise still and stuffy air that was now in the small apartment. There were silent messages passed between them, only their eyes spoke of things that they couldn't use words for. A silent declaration of affection that went past the bodily needs and like. It was a conversation about love and like in an emotional level that they didn't dare to use words for, otherwise it would be all over.

They could only function like this – it was their way of loving each other.

"You know, Jin." Marui finally spoke, his breath still uneven and caught up by the earlier activity, "You can't protect him forever. Let him be, you have done more than enough." He leaned down, placing his hot forehead against Akutsu's wet and equally hot one. "You still have me." He smirked.

Akutsu sighed, "You just ruined the moment, idiot." He allowed his hands to fall on the couch, on both sides of his and Marui's legs. Akutsu leaned his head back on the headrest and sighed again. "Why do I even bother?"

"Cause you care?" the red-head giggled and laid his head on his lover's chest now, relaxing and closing his eyes, enjoying the sound of other's breathing and the rhythmic up and down movement as Akutsu breathed, "But you're still mine, the brat has Atobe already. Heh."

There was no answer; it wasn't really needed too. For now, they both sat in the dark room, basking in the silence that had settled in the room. Each had time to think about things that were on their minds, poking in that annoying manner that made them just think more and get lost in their own threads of thought. But since it was quiet, the threads didn't entangle or break, they simply lead the mind further down the right way – quietly and surely to the destination that was to be reached.

Another sigh and Akutsu's fingers were once again going through the red locks of his lover, relaxing them both. "Let's do it again." He finally said, his mind now at ease, as if a decision had been made in those few seconds of peace.

"Mhhmmm…. I was just about to ask you about that." Another playful remark and Marui initiated another hot and sloppy kiss between them. "He'll be fine; he's not an idiot." He added once they broke apart.

"You ruined the mood again."

* * *

Ryoma didn't know just how much time had passed since he had sat on that bench, but the first rays of the sunlight that hit his face managed to bring him out of the state of ignorance that he had gone in. The first painful blinks that he made refreshed his cloudy mind, making him look around.

There still were no other people, besides himself, around. Ryoma was the only one that was still out in the early morning hour. However, he merely sighed and resumed to look into the distance, at the small houses, lined neatly along the street, the cats and birds that were starting to wake up; he simply started at the distant world before him.

A world that he could never have.

"Idiocy." He mumbled, crossing his legs one over the other. The night spent awake had tired his mind and senses. Everything was dull and cloudy; his body ached with the need of sleep and a softer surface to sit on.

A small, unexpected buzz of the phone, from the pocket of his purple pants, caught the teen's attention. He glared at nothing and got the piece of technology out of his pocket, directing the irritated glare at the name that flashed on the screen.

He tch-ed and answered whoever was calling him. "**You're annoying.**" He didn't bother to hide the irritation, the person he was talking to had already gotten used to the snappy side of Ryoma.

"…" laughter came from the other end and Ryoma had to pull away a little, "…"

"**No, it's not going great. It's fucking hell. And the last thing I would need here is **_**you **_**to get on my nerves.**" He rolled his eyes at what the other was saying, "**Like I care what you feel for me. We have been over this for countless times now.**" Ryoma followed an early runner with his eyes now.

There was a brief pause before the person from the other end spoke again, "…" the teen had to widen his eyes a little. "…"

He sat up straighter and tightened his hold on the phone, "**Wait a minute - you are doing what? No, no, no, no! I don't need you here!**" but before he could say any more, the other line was cut off and only the soft beeping sound now reached his ears.

The raven-haired boy slowly took the phone away from his ear and stared at it dumbly. "Well damn." He massaged the bridge of his nose and bowed his head down a little. "The last thing I needed here was him."

* * *

The glass doors of the restaurant opened up a little, letting the noises of the already wide awake city inside the room, quenching down the soft, slow music that was coming from the speakers. Only one person looked up from the book in his hands and smiled a little when his eyes fell on the one that had come inside.

"On time as usual, Atobe." Yukimura greeted the other, placing the bookmark between the pages of his book and setting it aside. "I take it Echizen didn't spend the night with you, since you are so on time." He chuckled a little, enjoying the small expression of irritation that showed up on Keigo's face.

"Good morning to you too, Yukimura." Keigo greeted back and ordered a cup of black coffee, "As usual, you are very correct." He flipped some of the loose bags away from his face.

Yukimura merely smiled back. "I am, what I am, Atobe. No more, no less."

* * *

**A/N: You had a sex scene, a depressed Ryoma, unknown caller and some Atobe/Yukimura – that is my sorry for the long updating process. Many things happened in my life and many things went wrong. As well as my lack of want to write.**

**Now, I will go and angst here, you can skip and you can read forth – IDGAF, really.**

**I… I just can't get over the fact that some crap stories get more reviews than the stories that actually SHOULD be getting them. I mean – a story that has like, for example, some 500 words and contains a sex scene, angst scene and SUCH AN UNEXPECTED twist in plot (sarcasm) get's more support from people that the stories that are written in such detail, colorful language and so vividly that you can see the things happening right in front of your eyes (my crappy creations are somewhere in the middle, IMHO.) WHY? **

**I feel so used and cheated when I see what is happening in this fandom and read all that is left by the readers. I'm starting to lose my will to create, if the best I can get is a 3 word review that contains no criticisms and suggestions on what I should work on. How am I supposed to improve? And yeah, those 500 word "stories" get shit like "OMG YOUR WRITNG IS SO AWESOME, WRITE MORE!"**

**Bitch please.**

**Yes, I do want more reviews. I will not lie.**

**I am now humbly awaiting all the hate I can get from you all and the sudden loss of all my fans. Come at me, I would like to hear what you got to say!**

**P.S. I have a poll up, vote. Now. Please. **


	14. Scapegoat

**Disclaimer: Plot is mine, characters belong to Konomi Takeshi.**

**Warning: Crap grammar. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Bad language in use, hard yaoi.**

**Bold for English.**

* * *

**I Cry For the Last Time**

**Chapter Fourteen: Scapegoat.**

* * *

Tezuka didn't bother to look up when Momohiro walked in his room; Tezuka's mother had already told him that the teen was here and wanted to see him. He wasn't in the mood for talking, or putting up with the loyal puppy dog that adored him. All this mess with Echizen, Atobe and those mumbling idiots that refused to side with him…

"Buchou… Are you..?" Momoshiro stayed by the door and looked like he really wasn't sure what to do now. He just stood there and glanced at Tezuka nervously, shifting his eyes at the floor from time to time.

Tezuka took off his glasses, placed them on the desk and sighed; he ignored his guest on purpose, showing the puppy dog that he was not welcomed here right now.

If Atobe was on Echizen's side then that meant that Yukimura would soon be too, for they had gotten friendlier for the past years, since they started to go to the same learning facilities. Tezuka knew that Yukimura had always been against his way of playing and training, though, Yukimura's own ideals were somewhat twisted when it came to tennis and play styles. Alas, it seemed that even the Child of God, who enjoyed destroying ones senses during a match and watch that person crumble before him, was against such treatment towards Echizen.

Hypocrite.

That was why Tezuka hated that golden-eyed enigma. He suddenly showed up, the child of Samurai, a prodigy, a conqueror and took away his place in the team. Yes, he might have helped the child himself, but it wasn't for those reasons. He had merely wanted to create a _weapon_, a _tool_ to use as he wished.

Who would have thought that his own creation would steal his rivals, his place, his moves even? Insolence.

"What is it?" Tezuka glanced at the second-year by his bedroom door. "Did I not mention that I do not wish for anyone to come today? And yet, you are here." He could see the spiky-haired teen flinching from his stare; not that he cared much.

Momohiro inhaled a shaky breath, his purple eyes darting around the floor, "I just… wanted to be here. You, uhh, buchou looked like you were in pain, so I… I'm sorry." His voice got quieter with every word that the teen said, as if he was ashamed of his own feelings, his own words.

Tezuka narrowed his eyes; the annoyance he felt was hard to hide, even if you were a master of creating masks and lies around yourself. He looked outside the window again, not really seeing the world outside his room.

_I should destroy him, take back what belongs to me and make him pay. But how…? _Tezuka closed his eyes. Atobe had ruined it, everything. "Do it." He finally grunted out, too tired to think anymore, "Since you're here, you might as well be useful for something. So do it." He smirked at the sound that same out of Momoshiro's mouth and pointed at his front. "Do it, I told you."

Really – dogs can only listen to their masters, after all.

* * *

It wasn't that he particularly _hated_ Echizen. It's just… Something about that boy just ticked him off in the wrong ways and Fuji couldn't really say what.

"What's wrong? You have wrinkles." Saeki touched Fuji's forehead with his finger, soothing the wrinkles. "Is it about what happened at the party?" he looked a bit concerned at his boyfriend.

Fuji smiled up to the man he was dating, "No, it's not about that. It was part of the plan after all. It's just that… How to say this, my thoughts are all over the place? I wonder." He chuckled at the face Saeki made and stretched his hands.

The two were lounging at Fuji's place, watching one of the old romantic movies that were currently on a re-run. Fuji had lied down on the couch and placed his head in Saeki's lap at the very start of the movie; they always watched them like this. Saeki liked to run his fingers through Fuji's soft hair – it had become a habit at some time.

"You know, I've been wondering for some time now, but why are you so gung-ho about doing what Tezuka-san wants?" he made a small shy smile at the look he got from Fuji in return and added, "Since it's not like you have a grudge against the kid."

Saeki knew full well that 'Echizen' was a very… delicate topic for the ex-Seigaku regulars, at least those who were still here, so he rarely brought it up. But after what had happened yesterday, after he had seen the way Echizen had reacted to what Tezuka had said and did, he was starting to doubt whether this was a good thing to do.

Fuji waved his hand as if pushing the topic away. "It's not like that. Haven't I told you, I never really _liked_ Echizen. And besides, I just can't _not listen_ to Tezuka, there are some reasons. More or less." The tensai sighed (he rarely did that), and turned to sleep on his stomach. "Don't tell him that I said this."

The silver-haired man just simply nodded, even if Fuji couldn't really see it now, "Un, my lips are sealed."

Fuji knew it was childish of them; it was practically a kindergarten bullying what was happening right now. He knew it was stupid and should just be forgotten already. But stopping all of this right now, at this stage, wasn't easy and Tezuka wouldn't allow it. He wanted to destroy Echizen for stealing what was his; all the ex-regulars knew it.

But in reality Tezuka was bitter, Fuji knew. Hell, he was there and saw it all.

A smirk found its place on Fuji's lips. Well, he just went along with Tezuka's little play of 'revenge' for his own selfish reasons. Echzien hadn't taken away his place or rivals, or whatever else was there. Just his very _existence_ pissed the tensai off. The golden-eyed prodigy hadn't done anything, nothing at all, but Fuji just simply couldn't like him. He _hated _him.

Hated him for being the only one that Atobe looked at.

Hell, even Yukimura had cherished something like a small crush on the brat, but that Fuji didn't care about. He just simply couldn't accept the fact that after two years of trying to get Atobe's attention, a fucking _brat_ destroyed it all with a few-second-meeting and a taunting 'Monkey King'.

That pissed Fuji off.

So very, very, _very_ much.

"What are you thinking about now? There are wrinkles again." Saeki's slightly amused voice made Fuji chuckle. "If you do that too much they will become permanent, you know?" he laughed a bit.

Fuji laughed with him. Atobe was something of the past now, his pathetic little crush on Atobe was a part of the past too. Right now, he had Saeki and he was all that Fuji needed. But the part of him that was hurt by what Echizen had done, or to be more precise, _hadn't_ done was still alive somewhere inside Fuji.

So he went along with Tezuka's petty plan, acted that he was an evil ass and played these charades. All for his own good, to ease that _need _he felt. All just for the sake of that. Pathetic, yes. But he had chosen to do so. And Fuji didn't want to go back on what he had decided to.

"I love you." Fuji said as she smiled up at Saeki, his eyes half-open and looking straight at his lover. "I love you."

"Un, I know. I love you too." Saeki smiled back and leaned in for a kiss. A sweet kiss that was a sign of their relationship, of their love and of their understanding for each other; just one sweet kiss.

* * *

"Oishi~ Wait up!" Eiji grabbed the shopping bags and ran after his friend.

The two continued to walk down the busy street, each holding their own bag with products and chatting about this and that, pretending that yesterday had never happened. It was better that way. They never wanted to be a part of all that, not now, not at the Nationals. So it was better if they pretended that these things never happened.

"Ņe, ne, Oishi! Did you see that? That cute puppy? If only our apartment would allow pets." Eiji laughed, his blue eyes sparkling with true happiness. Well, Eiji could never really fake emotions.

Oishi merely smiled and tried to calm the energetic man down. "Yes, too bad. But maybe it's better that way? We wouldn't be able to take good care of him, not with school and all that, Eiji." He patted the red-head on the back, "Let's go."

Unlike what others believed, they weren't dating. They were just good friends, living together to save up some money. They _did_ try to find out what's it like, dating and kissing and holding hands, but… No matter what others said about them, they just weren't meant to be in _that_ kind of relationship. So they stayed friends, nothing more.

That little _fling_ that they had had left behind some bitter memories, rather than happy ones. So also that time was written off as something that never happened, something that they had forgotten already. Or so they liked to believe and pretend.

"…So when she told Lucio that, her sister just suddenly fell out of a closet and, you know what she did, Oishi? She was all bossy and… hey, that is..?" Eiji suddenly stopped ranting about the last night's newest episode of his favorite show and looked straight ahead."

"Hmm, what is?" Oishi stopped too, glancing back at the red-head. He then followed where Eiji was looking and also froze, his eyes widening a little and the hold on his bag tightening. "Echizen."

Ryoma had just gone out of one of the Starbucks joints. He had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, held carefully in those thin fingers, as if it was something he really, _really_ needed. His golden eyes were downcast, seemingly seeing nothing in front of him, as he slowly made his way away from the coffee shop and into the crowd.

The emerald-haired boy wasn't exactly walking their way, but he wasn't walking away from them too. Though, Oishi soon caught him looking at him and Eiji, although his face remained the same and nothing seemed to show what he felt right now. The teen just narrowed his eyes a little and walked away, without giving the two another glance.

"What was he doing here? Akutsu doesn't live even near this district." Eiji had stepped a few steps closer to Oishi, his clear, blue eyes following the boy as he disappeared into the crowd of people. "And didn't he leave with Atobe? He also doesn't exactly live near this place."

"Something must have happened. He seemed a bit sick. But we shouldn't meddle. We have no right." Oishi sighed and continued on his walk home.

Eiji followed him, still glancing at the place where Ryoma was just a few seconds ago, now lost in the sea of people. "I guess so." He mumbled and finally looked away. But the feeling of regret, deep regret, was now hanging over him, and surely Oishi too, for they were also at fault.

* * *

Yukimura sipped on his tea, lazily twisting a thread from his bookmark between his fingers. He had just heard what Keigo had to say about the 'Echizen thing', as it was dubbed. Like the wealthy man had said, all that he knows in merely what people had told him. Or, to be more precise, what Kawamura, who was now studying abroad to be a good chef, had told him before leaving. He was a kind soul and was never really a part of it, but the pressure from Tezuka made him stay quiet about the whole thing, as well as prevented him to stand by the small and fragile rookie.

Well, knowing Tezuka and what his father did, that was nothing surprising.

Yukimura placed his cup of tea on the table and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I guess I now understand what Genichirou sees in him. Tezuka, I mean. He always has had a thing for the slightly twisted ones." He stopped and swirled his fingertip along the teacup's top.

"He's nothing more than one of Tezuka's puppy-dogs now. Just like Momoshiro and Arai. Although, Momoshiro always acted like Tezuka's faithful dog." Keigo tch-ed and directed his stare at the people outside of the café.

"Well, that boy was obsessed with Tezuka the moment he first saw him play. There is no wonder that things are the way they are right now. In fact," Yukimura took his teacup, "I would be surprised if they wouldn't be." he made a small smile.

"Still…" Yukimura started to talk again, after sipping some of his tea, "You sure don't know when to give up, do you, Atobe? Even after he rejected you, how many times, three times now? I applaud to your persistence." He smiled at the face that Keigo made.

The purple-haired man glared slightly at his friend. "You sense of humor is still unlikable. And just because he has rejected me so far, does not mean he will from now on. Just a little bit more and he will give up." He chuckled a little.

"You reminded me of Tezuka now. Just not in that evil-sneaky kind of way." Yukimura commented and then turned to look at the people walking past the café, just like Atobe had a little while ago. "Oh my!" he suddenly exclaimed, "Echizen."

Keigo furrowed his brows a bit and stared at his friend, "Echizen, he shouldn't be he…re." he blinked a couple of times, just to make sure. "What the…? I was sure that he ran back to that delinquents place."

"Oh, so he ran away from you, huh? Good information, thank you." Yukimura grinned slightly, his purple eyes glinting in that sneaky way of his, promising future blackmailing for favors.

There, staring right at the two, with the same questioning look on his face, was Echizen Ryoma. A Starbucks coffee cup in one hand and an mp3 player in the other. He tilted his head on one side, as if debating with himself whether to go in or simply walk away, pretending this never happened.

Yukimura was faster.

He reacted faster than any of the other two could and rushed outside, grabbing Ryoma by the hand and pulling him inside the small café. The golden-eyed youth looked a bit taken aback, not used to someone dragging him around like that. He blinked a couple of times, already seated down in the chair between Yukimura and Keigo, and then glared.

"Why can't I get away from you?" he mumbled to himself, looking pointedly at Keigo and ignoring Yukimura's presence, "Are you stalking me?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You seem to pop out everywhere I go. And besides," Keigo flipped some strands of hair away from his face, throwing a strange, slightly angry glance at Yukimura, "This was all his idea, not mine."

The person in question chuckled and wrapped his fingers around the teacup. "Your embarrassment only serves for my amusement. Now then, Echizen," he pushed the menu in Ryoma's direction, pointedly opening it on the breakfast section, "How come you are here?"

* * *

**A/N: So, I listened to the requests of you, my dear reviewers, and have written what you all wanted to know so much – why is Tezuka and Fuji doing this. I do realize that I have yet to tell about the others, but it will all be done in time.**

**I love you all and I love your opinions. Thank you so, **_**so**_** much.**

**And yes, Tezuka did make Momo do him a blowjob. Yes he did.  
**


	15. Holding Hands

**Disclaimer: Plot is mine, characters belong to Konomi Takeshi.**

**Warning: Crap grammar. Characters are probably going to be OOC. Bad language in use, hard yaoi.**

**Bold for English.**

* * *

**I Cry For the Last Time**

**Chapter Fifteen: Holding Hands.**

* * *

"Why can't I get away from you?" Ryoma mumbled to himself, looking pointedly at Keigo and ignoring Yukimura's presence, "Are you stalking me?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You seem to pop out everywhere I go. And besides," Keigo flipped some strands of hair away from his face, throwing a strange, slightly angry glance at Yukimura, "This was all his idea, not mine."

The person in question chuckled and wrapped his fingers around the teacup. "Your embarrassment only serves for my amusement. Now then, Echizen," he pushed the menu in Ryoma's direction, pointedly opening it on the breakfast section, "How come you are here?"

* * *

"You do know that bribing _is_ wrong, right?" Ryoma raised his eyes from the menu, "I'll take the salad and pancakes." He closed the menu and slid it back to Yukimura.

The ex-captain of Rikkai Dai sipped his tea and hummed to himself. "And yet it works so well, doesn't it?"

Keigo rolled his eyes. The only thing that Ryoma could be bribed with was food, always has been. He snapped his fingers, bringing the waiter's attention to them and placed the order in Ryoma's place. He or someone of Ryoma's team always did this when Hyotei and Seigaku went out to eat together; it was a habit that was hard to shake off. He could feel Ryoma's eyes on him, but Keigo said nothing.

"Now then, once you've stopped giving each other the love-filled looks would you mind if I ask again, why are you here Echizen? From what Atobe told me you _should _be at Akutsu's place, no?" Yukimura interjected, sounding as if it was the most boring conversation ever.

Ryoma glanced at the man sitting next to him. He narrowed his eyes slightly and then simply said, "Marui was staying over yesterday. Besides, I didn't… Never mind." He averted his eyes and started at his Starbucks cup.

"So you spent your night outside? That's kind of sad, isn't it, Atobe? Maybe you really should have chased after him? He's your love interest after all." Yukimura slid his finger along the cover of his book, not paying attention to the tension that had replaced the almost comfortable atmosphere. "You both should finally move on, you know?"

"If it were that easy I wouldn't be here, Yukimura-san." Ryoma flicked his Starbucks cup and then sighed.

Keigo leaned in his chair and tilted his head up a bit, so that the only thing visible to him was the ceiling of the small café. He hated when Yukimura did this. "It's not that we're stuck, Yukimura. We simply don't know where to go so we're wandering around, searching for it."

Keigo knew that Ryoma felt something towards him, that something was the very beginning of love, he was sure of that. He still loved Ryoma; his feeling had never left him. It was hard, painful and terrible in its own way, but he was glad that these feelings stayed. No matter how much it hurt, he was glad.

"I hate to break it to you, but that's the same as being stuck, Atobe." The blue-haired male corrected the other and then turned his full attention towards Ryoma again. "So what are you going to do now? People think that you're dating Atobe because of yesterday's little stunt."

The look of remembrance on Ryoma's face was priceless. First he went wide-eyed, then narrowed his eyes and lastly, something between a pout and scowl settled on his face. He was obviously trying to figure out some way out of this, but he (and the other two) clearly knew that, by now, it's impossible. It was better if everyone though that they are dating for real – very few would go so far as to anger Keigo, which would help Ryoma survive until he had to go back to America.

"**Fuck**." He silently cursed in English.

Ryoma's order arrived a moment later, so all of his problems were instantly forgotten. Keigo watched Ryoma's every move – the teen always managed to make eating somewhat erotic. Either it was the way he licked his lips, or the low pleased hum that he made when the meal was extra delicious.

"Atobe, don't do that. You might start to drool." Yukimura teased and made a small smile as a counter to Keigo's glare. "Either way, I think that Echizen should go with you and this time, not run away. Before you object," Yukimura silenced Ryoma with one look, "I'll let you know that it might me safer that way and, if someone sees you, they will think that you spent the night with Atobe. I'd say it's pretty convenient."

Keigo sighed, "You are a scheming pain in my softer parts, do you know that?"

* * *

"Just so you know, I'm not spending the night at your place." Ryoma mumbled. He was watching the scenery running past as they drove though the busy streets. He had been forced into the car with a little help from Yukimura and the door was locked this time. He had no way out of this.

Keigo had to fight back the urge to roll his eyes. "I know, you've said that already." He turned left in an intersection and then speeded up a little. "So stop pouting already."

"Assbutt." Ryoma hissed back at Keigo and ignored whatever else the man had to say.

It was just a simple ride home, nothing much. He had received a message from Akutsu earlier, saying that now it was ok for him to get back. Marui had left already and the apartment was cleaned out, sort of. Akutsu wasn't known for being much of a cleaner, though his cooking was something to look forward to.

Keigo sighed and glanced at his pouting companion. Was it really that uncomfortable for Ryoma to be with him? Or was it just embarrassment? Well, knowing that Ryoma felt _something_ towards him, Keigo assumed that the kid felt a mix of confusion and embarrassment right now, so, obviously, being alone with him didn't help the situation.

It was cute, in its own way.

"Ahh… Kaidoh-sempai. I haven't seen him at all." Ryoma suddenly spoke, leaning a bit closer to the window to be able to see what they have already passed. "He looked the same."

Keigo glanced at the seventeen-year-old. "The snake man was in the hospital for a few days, or so I heard. Something about his legs, I think. Well, even if he weren't there, you wouldn't have seen him anyway. His family moved to another town, and he started working." The corners of Keigo's mouth lifted up a bit, "And he got into a fight with Tezuka too."

"Ehh, is that so?" Ryoma leaned back into the seat, "He was with Inui too. Did they break up?" the boy's eyes settled on the radio and he started to push buttons, searching for something good to listen to.

Keigo eyed the slim fingers dancing over the small buttons but said nothing. "They didn't. Why do you think Kaidoh is here?" The student made a face once Ryoma had settled on a currently popular song about how much one thinks that he's sexy. "That song has no meaning whatsoever."

"So?" Ryoma went back to watching the passing people and houses outside of the car. "Not everything needs to have a deep meaning. It would only make things more complicated, and that is what we don't need. Life is hard enough as it is."

* * *

"Ne, ne, Yuu-chan! I just saw Atobe's car. And Echizen in it." Jiroh suddenly said, brining the ice-cream closer to his lips. "I bet they had a date." He grinned and licked the cold vanilla sweet before it managed to start melting any further.

Yuuta furrowed his brows a bit, glancing down on his own peppermint and chocolate chip ice. "But doesn't Atobe-san live further away from here? Isn't it a bit, you know, inconvenient to come all the way here?" he looked at his lover, only to find him smiling smugly back.

"Yuu-chan, how can you not get it? It's _romantic_ to come all the way here, enjoy a drive and then have a small meal, just like what we're doing right now, and then go home and _have some more fun_. You're so cute." The brown-haired man laughed. His eyes sparkled with glee when he spotted the pink on Yuuta's cheeks.

They had decided to go out for the day, forget about yesterday and just have fun. No friends, no team mates, no stuck-up idiots – just the two of them, having fun on their own.

Jiroh sat there like that, lost on his thoughts a little, looking at his boyfriend, until he suddenly gasped rather loudly. "Ah, I'll let Oshitari know! He likes info like this! Here, hold this!" he thrusted his slightly melted ice-cream in Yuuta's free hand and fished out his phone. "A date I tell you."

* * *

"Oshitari-kun, you're interrupting the game. Again." Yagyuu pointed out, pushing up his glasses a little.

"Sorry, but this seems something rather interesting." Oshitari said as his eyes skimmed over the message from his ex-teammate and close friend. Absentmindedly he placed a mahjong piece on the table, earning a rather angry tsk from Niou.

The master on illusions pondered over this a little ad then placed a piece of his own on the table, "Piyo."

"You both are unbelievable." The gentleman sighed, carefully studying the pieces on the table and on his hand. He was losing horribly. It ticked him off a bit, not to mention the fact that one of the players wasn't even paying attention. "Really."

"Yes, yes." The tensai mumbled to himself. "I should re-send this to Sengoku, he was fangirling over him, even thought he has a girl. Oh well, with this, no more of _that_. Heh." He pushed a few buttons and then hmm-ed. "I think Fuji will find this interesting as well."

"If you lose you owe me a strip show Hiroshi. You promised me, puri." Niou smirked, his eyes shining in that sneaky glint that informed of new mischiefs and pranks being planned. It was never something good; Yagyuu had learned that a long time ago.

Oshitari finally placed his phone back in the bag where it belonged and surveyed the game table. He smirked and glanced at the poor bespectacled man next to him. "I will want that bet money in cash when you lose, thank you."

"I'm never playing with you two again."

* * *

Ryoma was pissed off.

Well, 'pissed off' was a mild way of putting it. He glanced around the overly decorated room and blew out a new batch of smoke from his mouth. He didn't care that the rich ass didn't like people smoking in his house – if Ryoma wanted to smoke, he will smoke. End of story.

He used a lone plate as an ashtray and then stuck the cigarette between his lips. The taste of nicotine calmed him down, the smell of the smoke now so familiar. He was addicted, he didn't deny it. The teen sighed in bliss, filling the room with more smoke as time went by. He was tired of waiting for Keigo to show up again.

Actually, he was also very confused about how he actually got here. "I thought I told him that I'm not staying here. Ass." Ryoma sighed, getting his phone from the back pocket of his pants. "I'll let Jin know I was kidnapped."

It wasn't that much anger that Ryoma felt though. He was confused. Confused as to _why_ he was here in the first place and what will happen now. Yeah, sure, they were pretending to be a couple, but not to this extent. The rich man brought him here against his own will, but Ryoma couldn't bring himself to actually feel angry at Keigo. Yes it was strange; yes he should be mad and pacing around the room destroying things but… He couldn't bring himself to feel like that and do it.

He even felt a bit… _happy_.

"Oh hell no." Ryoma rolled his eyes. Confusion quickly changed into a frown though. He opened the new message that he had received and then wished he hadn't. "Fuck. Fuck him, that mother—Ahh… Goddamn it. All I needed here was Elijah. Great, I thought he was bluffing. "

"Who was?" Keigo slightly interested voice was too close, in Ryoma's opinion. The other merely raised an eyebrow and the corners of his lips lifted a bit, "Well, at least now I know you can still get scared."

Ryoma frowned, "Huh? Are you an idiot?" he turned his face away from Keigo, very aware of the hotness that had settled on his cheeks and pocketed his phone, "And didn't I tell you that I'm not staying here."

"You did." Keigo watched the back of Ryoma's head, tilting his head slightly to the right, "But it is not yet evening." He widened his smirk when he heard a quiet 'tch' from his guest. "But you could have left any given moment."

Ryoma glared at the carpet – the bastard was right and he couldn't deny it. He took a long smoke and then put out his cigarette on the plate he was using as an ashtray, he breathed out the smoke and tried to think up with something to say. Sadly, nothing came to him.

It was like his head had gone empty, all remains of his usual snarky replies and confident nature gone. He felt too self-aware and uncomfortable under Keigo's eyes. He wanted to run away and sit in his room at Jin's apartment, pretending that this never happened and everything was just a stupid-ass dream.

"What are you doing?" Ryoma hissed when he felt Keigo's arms on his shoulders, making sure that he couldn't move from the chair now, "Go away or I'll punch you." He glared at the calm dark blue eyes staring back at him.

Since when Keigo had been standing in front of him, Ryoma couldn't tell. He must have been too into his thoughts to notice Keigo walking around the chair and kneeling in front of him.

"Now, now. We both know that's not possible." Keigo simply answered back, moving his right hand from Ryoma's shoulders to gently trace the boy's cheek. "You think you are strong Echizen, but you're not. You are not strong enough."

Golden eyes narrowed a little - the anger now gone, a dark shadow taking its place. "Shut it." The boy averted his eyes. He didn't fight back against Keigo's touches – they seemed right. He wasn't sure if what he was doing was the right thing, or whether he should be allowing Keigo to touch him like this.

But... he didn't have the strength to fight back. His body was empty, he mind was empty, _he _was empty.

"It pains me to see you like this. Alone, suffering, getting blamed for things that are not your fault, losing your place. Ech-_Ryoma_, what do you want?" the man asked, now holding his hands on either side of Ryoma's face, waiting for an answer that will surely never come. He knew, he knew that Ryoma wouldn't answer. He knew.

"Let me go, I'm going home." Moments had passed before Ryoma finally spoke up. He didn't want this. He didn't want _this_, he didn't want Keigo. He just wanted to go. Go and never look back and try and forget, he wanted to become _himself _again.

There was a quiet laugh and Keigo shook his head. "Fool. Like I would let you go home like this. Truly, a fool." He took his hands away though, waiting for Ryoma to look at him again.

"Bastard." The teen growled under his nose. But he still looked at the man kneeling in front of him. It was somewhat comical, knowing who Keigo was and just how much of an image he had in the society. "Aren't you the idiot here?" he smirked - a fake.

"Maybe I am." Keigo laughed. "But so are you, you cannot deny that."

Ryoma wasn't sure if he should allow this. But it all happened so fast that it was out of his hands now. And it felt so good, Keigo's lips felt so good against his own. He tangled his fingers in Keigo's hair – _more_. He needed more now. Lips and tongues and saliva and more lips. Heat that traveled between them, that sudden rush of _feelings_, that animalistic need for more – it was all here.

Keigo smirked against Ryoma's lips. They boy won't leave this place, not tonight.

* * *

**A/N: *gross dying whale sound* I'm so gomen. I just... I was **_**so fucking stuck with everything. **_**I still am. And this is just so **_**no**_** that it's somewhat sad. But you do suspect what will happen next chapter, right? **

**I don't know anything about mahjong though. I can only play those online games (I suck at them). Why did I put that there again…? Who knows. But yeah, umm…. That's it? Oh wait. It's not. The thing is – I was thinking about changing the title for this story. I suddenly want to put something like "Rebirthing" or "Steal your pain". I don't know. I'm still thinking about it.**


	16. Because I love you

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot.**

**Warning: Grammatical mistakes, 18+ content, missed words or letters.**

**Bold for English.**

* * *

**I cry for the last time.**

**Chapter sixteen: Because I love you.**

* * *

Keigo's kisses were something else. He took his time, slowly leaning closer and closer to Ryoma, his hands holding the other's face in a comfortable angle, so that it would be easier for him to continue the kiss. Ryoma's hands were tangled in Keigo's hair, almost begging for the man to deepen the kiss, to come even closer and do _more._ But the rich man knew that he needed to take it slowly and carefully, as not to scare his partner.

Keigo didn't want for this to end like it did when he confessed his feelings for the other those years ago.

At first he thought that Ryoma had refused because he didn't like the rich teen and that the thought of two males together scared, or even disgusted, the younger male. But, after thinking back on it, Keigo changed his thoughts. Behind the seemingly brave and confident mask was still a twelve year old boy with no experience in things like dating and confession. Surely, he was frightened by the sudden confession of love, scared of what might happen now and what would happen if he would said yes.

So Keigo will take this slowly this time. Building up the _need_ for more in Ryoma, slowly getting him used to the touches and caresses that he made, making him loose his sense of time and place and reality in the overwhelming pleasure that will soon come.

A small noise came from the emerald-haired male, something that was made deep in his throat. He opened his eyes slightly; clouded gold looked at the man in front of him. Ryoma was breathing with deep breaths, slowly trying to regain his regular breathing speed. His hands were now resting on the chair he was sitting on, gripping the edge of the chair.

"You taste like cigarettes. Not the best taste out there." Keigo sighed and licked his lips. He looked at his partner and smiled a small, knowing smile.

Ryoma tried to glare, but it only came out as a weak narrow of the eyes. "Like I care." He closed his eyes again, hiding everything that could show Keigo signs of what he was feeling or thinking and then quietly mumbled, "This is so wrong."

"It's not and we both know it. After all, you gave in, you want more and you want _me_." Keigo smirked. He slowly moved closer to Ryoma (the other had snapped his eyes open and was now intently staring at him) and placed his hands on the smaller ones, "We're not twelve and fifteen anymore Ryoma. We're not oblivious to these feelings and the needs anymore. We're not kids anymore."

"That doesn't mean that I have to sleep with you!" Ryoma's voice was higher than usual, eyes clearer than ever, and hands trembling from something that was barely kept at bay, "Look at the mess I am in right now? I don't even know what the fuck _I_ feel about you. I rejected you then, so why haven't you given up yet, damn it?"

The elder of the two opened his mouth to say something, but then close it again. No words came out, it was like everything that he had wanted to say was lost somewhere along the way, forgotten and thrown away. He gripped Ryoma's trembling hands tighter and looked him straight in the eye.

"Because I love you."

* * *

Tezuka sat in his room, going through the news article on the internet site, absentmindedly scrolling through it without actually reading through it. It was just another report on some sport team winning a game, an attack on an elderly lady and how the police were investigating this attack; someone had won a lottery and so on. Only useless information.

A knock on his door brought him out of the daze he had fallen in. His mom told about an arrival of one of his friends through the door and then went away, leaving the said friend alone in the hallway. Tezuka sighed and allowed for his visitor to enter, closing the browser and shutting off the monitor.

Tachibana smiled warmly when he entered the room, closing the doors behind himself, "You're still as moody as the last time I saw you, Tezuka. At least let some air in here."

"Did you come to annoy me?" the bespectacled teen crossed his legs and leaned back into his computer chair, "Or you had a real reason?" he said this with a hidden double meaning. Tachibana's face fell a little at those words but he quickly regained composure.

"I didn't come to do you, Tezuka. Why can't you understand that?" the blond-haired man sighed and sat on Tezuka's bed, "Or maybe it's because you can only think of _that_?" Tachibana looked around the room, "For example, I come here simply to talk to you. To tell you something, actually."

Tezuka rolled his eyes and took of his glasses, "What do you want Tachibana?"

"Really, even after I've said all that. Well… I just came here to say that I won't be sleeping with you anymore, but that doesn't mean that I will stop being your friend. I just won't be your fuck buddy anymore, that's all." Tachibana smiled a little and then looked away from his friend.

The silence stretched out. It was the kind of silence that spoke of hidden displeasure and disappointment. Tachibana didn't want to look into Tezuka's eyes and Tezuka just kept his cold stare on the blond-haired teen, thinking to himself about things that would never be said out loud.

"Why?" it was a simple question demanding a simple answer.

"Because what you do is wrong Tezuka." Tachibana spoke quietly, fingers fiddling with his jacket, "And because I found someone that I really like, in that deep, emotional kind of like." He stopped his fingers and then he shook his head a little.

The bespectacled teen turned away from Tachibana, glasses now back on his nose, and switched on the computer display. He opened his internet browser and went to his email. "Get out, you have no reason to be here anymore, now do you." He said, ordered actually, and logged into his account.

* * *

"Because I love you."

Those four words echoed in Ryoma's head, twisting and turning and changing, but never loosing the voice that Keigo had said them with, the meaning and deeper sense of those words didn't leave or disappear. They stayed attached to them, continuing to bounce off the walls of the room and returning back to Ryoma.

The golden-eyed teen took a deep breath, eyes finally darting down to take a look at the hands on top of his own, "Why? I rejected you already, so why did you continue to…?" he couldn't bring himself to end the thought, leaving the question hanging in the air.

"You can't just stop loving someone simply because of one rejection, fool. If my feelings were so shallow I would not be doing all of this now." The purple-haired man chuckled, shaking his head a little, mirth dancing in his storm blue eyes, "And you should finally admit that you feel _something_ towards me too."

Keigo watched how Ryoma raised his head again, the determination and unwillingness to yield to someone written all over his face and eyes twinkling with that inexhaustible cockiness that Keigo loved so much, "You. Wish." The younger bit out, glaring.

Keigo's soft laughter suddenly filled the room and he leaned even closer, Ryoma leaning away from him. "You are so cute, Ryoma. So, so unbelievably cute." He moved his hands and captured Ryoma's face.

The younger tried to struggle, scratching red lines on the skin of Keigo's hands when he tried to remove them (hands), but the man didn't back down. He ignored the protests and weak tries to escape and kissed the younger again. It didn't take long for Ryoma to calm down, his body began to relax and give in to the others kiss, simply letting Keigo do what he wanted to.

This time though, Keigo didn't stop with just a kiss. As he slid his tongue past Ryoma's lips he also moved his hands down, slipping them under Ryoma's shirt, tracing meaningless lines and shapes along the warm skin that was now exposed to his fingers.

Ryoma shivered, but still didn't protest. It felt like all the strength that he had had vanished from his body, leaving behind only a black hole that couldn't be filled. But, for some reason, Ryoma didn't hate this feeling, he welcomed it even. He didn't have to think anymore, he didn't have to struggle and run away. He just had to give in to Keigo and let him do what he wanted. Besides, this felt just so _right_. It felt like this was the right thing to do, that this wasn't something he had to run away from. So he just allowed the flow to carry him along.

After feeling the younger slowly giving up on trying to get away Keigo smirked into the kiss, moving his hands upwards, slowly circling around Ryoma's torso, searching for something, leaving behind butterfly touches that caused the younger to moan. Once he found the already hard nipples Keigo pinched them lightly, breaking the kiss and allowing Ryoma to let out a soft mewl. He rolled the buds between his fingers, watching as the shorter man's eyes clouded over.

"Do… don't… No…" Ryoma moaned out, eyes now tightly shut in a weak attempt to still hold against the need for _more_. "I.. nahh… no." he covered his mouth with his right hand, the left one still clutching onto the chair.

"Give up Ryoma. We both know that you're enjoying this. Don't worry," Keigo removed his hands from Ryoma's chest, and positioned them on his hips, thumbs starting to massage the place right below the hips bones, "I will make sure that you feel good. I will bring you to heaven." He leaned closer and almost _purred_ the last part in Ryoma's ear.

Ryoma shivered when the warm breath ghosted over his skin, the husky voice echoed in his head now, bringing forth images that he would rather not see. But what Keigo was doing with his thumbs was almost illegal, Ryoma didn't want this feeling to stop. So when the massage on his left hip suddenly stopped he let out a small whine, catching himself in the middle of doing it and looked up at Keigo, as if to ask whether he had heard it. The pleased smirk on Keigo's face told that he surely had.

The younger's face heated up even more and he looked away. The purple-haired man chuckled and used the other's embarrassment to open up the front of Ryoma's pants and slide his has below the Calvin and Klein boxer shorts and grab a hold of the semi-hard penis, luring out a pleasant groan from the younger.

"Excited, are we?" Keigo laughed, relieved that the younger had a reaction to his ministrations. It would really wound his pride if he didn't have. "Now then…" he started to move his hand up and down, eyes never leaving Ryoma's face.

Keigo frowned when he noticed the younger biting his lips to not let out any kind of sound, "Don't bite your lips, just let it out. Ryoma." The elder man sighed and pushed two fingers of his other hand in Ryoma's mouth, "Just bite on my fingers if you really don't want to let out any sound. Don't hurt yourself." He sucked in his breath when Ryoma bit down on his fingers, but didn't stop to move his right hand.

Ryoma released Keigo's fingers and sighed, leaning into the chair, "Do you even… ugh… nhh… have lube? It won't… ummmhh… be enough with.. ss… just saliva. Tch…" his head had cleared somewhat for some unknown reason, so he could seriously think about what he was about to do with Keigo. As well as the consequences yet to follow.

"You really think I would start anything like this with no preparations? Ryoma, Ryoma… How foolish." Amused laughter found its way out of Keigo's mouth and he used his free hand to pull out the bottle of cherry flavored lube from the back pocket of his pants.

The blue-eyed man wasn't surprised that Ryoma knew how these things were done. Seeing just how handsome he had grown up to be, just what kind of a character he had developed over the years… He would be more surprised if the teen had told him he was still a virgin. Still, the thought that someone other than Keigo had the chance to do these things to Ryoma made that green-eyed jealousy monster wake up somewhere deep inside him.

While Keigo fumbled with the bottle (he had stopped giving Ryoma a handjob) Ryoma pushed his pants down until his butt was bare and slid down the chair, turning around and sitting in front of it on his knees, so that he could lie on the chair with his stomach down, ass slightly raised up. The golden-eyed teen tch-ed when he heard his partner whistle before something cold and slimy was poured between his butt cheeks.

The teen hissed, "Cold." He could feel fingers massaging his butt cheeks lightly, pushing them open slightly.

"Bear it, won't be the first time for you." Keigo answered back, circling the tight entrance with his finger before pushing it in, "Or you did it without a preparation?" he was genuinely interested, but guessed that Ryoma won't tell him.

"Like I'd tell you, Monkey Ass." Ryoma threw back, moaning lightly when Keigo allowed the second finger to slip in.

It seemed ok for now. Keigo was slowly moving his fingers in and out, making a scissoring movement as he did so to stretch it a little. When he was sure that it would be ok he inserted the third finger, stopping a little when Ryoma whined quietly to himself. He soon started to move them again though, at the same time searching for that one spot that would make the other go crazy.

When Ryoma let out a particularly lusty moan Keigo was sure that he had found it. He slipped his fingers out, smiling a little at the disappointed whine that came from his partner and wiped his fingers on the carpet. Then he freed his erect penis, sighing as he did so, and held Ryoma's hips with one hand.

"I'm doing it." He simply said before pushing in, groaning at the tightness that enveloped his penis. "Oh go-" he didn't get to finish since Ryoma had finally let out the cry of pain the he had been holding.

Ryoma's body trembled, sweat breaking on his skin. The teen let out a shaky breath and groaned. It was painful even with the preparation that Keigo had done, but Ryoma was already expecting it, so he was somewhat prepared for it. After all, the first time he had had sex with another guy it had been even more painful. Elijah had been awkward and unskilled and it had hurt so much, later there was bleeding and only more pain. Thankfully, that one time with Elijah had been only done under a heavy overdose of some strong alcohol.

Though, for some reason, Ryoma remembered it all.

"It's ok now." The teen finally sighed, he turned his head around to face his partner with half-lidded golden eyes, small teardrops still on the corners, and looked, or tried to, where Keigo was connected to him, "Just do it, it'll stop hurting faster that way."

The well-off man wasn't sure that that would be the best thing to do, but obeyed Ryoma anyway. After all, if they boy thought he could take it then maybe he could, who knows?

Keigo moved slowly at first, carefully almost pulling his cock out and then slowly thrusting in again. His hands held Ryoma's hips in place, but since the teen had started to push against him it seemed like an unnecessary thing. Soon the slow and careful movements became faster, harder and animal-like. With each thrust Keigo seemed to be hitting Ryoma's prostate more and more, sending Ryoma into the endless sea of pleasure and lust and _need_ even more and more, making the man loose his sense of _everything_.

It didn't take long for Ryoma to reach the euphoria of an orgasm, white washing before his eyes as he came, with Keigo's semen filling him inside. The purple-haired seme leaned on his partner, sweaty and panting and a small smile on his lips.

"See…" Keigo finally said after catching his breath, brushing strands of damp hair out of Ryoma's face and still not pulling out of him, "I told you – I'm good at this."

"Fuck. You."

* * *

Tezuka started out of his window, the slowly darkening sky had taken on a crimson hue and seemed to be bleeding as the sun cut deeper and deeper into it as it went down. A somewhat beautiful and yet so depressing sight, Tezuka thought to himself, but soon threw this lonely strand of thought away.

He picked up his phone, took one look at the opened internet page and then dialed Fuji's cell phone number, putting it on the speaker. There was no one here to listen to his talk, so there was no need to hide it. A click cut off the steady beeping.

"_Tezuka, how nice of you to call. Did something happen?_" Fuji did not sound amused or pleased that he had been called. He was obviously in the middle of something, but Tezuka couldn't bring himself to actually care.

"We will start the plan tomorrow. That's all." He simply said and hung up.

Yes, tomorrow will be a very exciting day indeed.

* * *

**A/N: So, you had the wonderful Royal get-together-sex. I hope you're happy guys. This is probably the longest chapter that I have written for this fic. Yeah, I don't think they will be **_**this**_** long in the future. But who knows.**

**And yeah, shit will go down soon. Anyway, a small announcement will follow, so please read it. Thank you.**

* * *

**Announcement: **

**So, I have decided to no longer do any long term multi-chapter fics. Do no worry, I plan to finish what I have started, but I will not make new ones. The 'Future Ideas' will stay on my profile, in case someone wants to use them, or I will, in time, start to write long-term again. But, what I want to say is - this is stressing me out. The expectations from you and the plot that I have to keep moving, it's hard on me. I hope to slowly become a one-shot only author.**

**As for the two OT6 stories that I have. Sadly, I... I both love and hate them. Therefore, they will be updated very slowly. And let's face it - they (or none of my works) are really that popular (that was also one of the reasons why I don't want to do long-term stories anymore).**

**Thank you to those that actually care about me and read this. If you want to - feel free to write me, i don't bite.**

**Ayingott out.**


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